


The arcana headcanons and imagines

by eveningcatcher



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Gender-Neutral Apprentice (The Arcana), Gender-Neutral Pronouns, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:22:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 76,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22786348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eveningcatcher/pseuds/eveningcatcher
Summary: I will post another request soon :3I will try my best to update weekly, if possible even more frequently.Requests are closed for now!
Relationships: Apprentice/Asra (The Arcana), Apprentice/Julian Devorak, Apprentice/Lucio (The Arcana), Apprentice/Muriel (The Arcana), Apprentice/Nadia (The Arcana), Apprentice/Portia Devorak, Apprentice/The Hierophant (The Arcana), Apprentice/Vlastomil (The Arcana), Apprentice/Volta (The Arcana), Apprentice/Vulgora (The Arcana), Asra (The Arcana)/Reader, Julian Devorak/Reader, Lucio (The Arcana)/Reader, Lucio (The Arcana)/You, Muriel (The Arcana)/Reader, Nadia (The Arcana)/Reader, Portia Devorak/Muriel, Portia Devorak/Reader, The Hierophant (The Arcana)/Reader, The Hierophant (The Arcana)/You, Valdemar (The Arcana)/Reader, Valdemar (The Arcana)/You, Valerius (The Arcana)/Reader, Valerius (The Arcana)/You, Vlastomil (The Arcana)/Reader, Vulgora (The Arcana)/Reader, Vulgora (The Arcana)/You
Comments: 108
Kudos: 500





	1. Main six when they lose MC in the market

**Asra:**

You were walking in the market, looking for some herbs that you've run out. You were wandering among the busy market, commenting about how this is the seventh time you've run out of this herb this week, however, Asra didn't seem to listen, instead, their eyes wandered at every store until they stopped at the freshly baked pumpkin bread on your favourite stalls. 

The two of you, without noticing it, got separated. Once they got out of the bakery, satisfied that they got the hot pastries for the two of you, they realized that you were nowhere in sight.

Their worry was rising every moment as he tried to find you amongst the crowd. Their fingers were moving until they felt someone lightly tap their shoulder.

"Found the friend!" Faust said as she was happily slithering on your left arm.

"There you are!" you said before quickly pecking their cheek. Once you moved away, you added, while playing with their hair, "I have been looking everywhere for you! Please pay more attention, I'll lose you for real once!"

They sighed in relief as they gave you the pumpkin bread they bought you. Later during the day, Asra gave you matching charm that would help find each other.

 **Julian:**  
You two came up with a genius idea to see what tea and saltybitters taste like mixed so you went to the marketplace to look for the ingredients. The marketplace was especially crowded that day since the new goods were arriving. 

So it was no wonder the doctor lost you in the huge crowd. He couldn't believe his eyes. Just a moment ago, you were there, right next to them, and the next you're gone. He immediately started panicking, looking all over the place for you. Once he calmed himself down, he started to look for you in the shops you visited frequently, asking everyone if they had seen you. 

The time passed and you were still nowhere in sight. He started to lose all hope until he saw a familiar person walking around, completely lost. He quickly walked towards the person, giving them a tight hug, "There you are..." he wrapped his arms around your shoulders, "You had me worried sick."

Your shoulder relaxed at his sudden touch, feeling safe in his arms.  
"Where were you?" you asked, "I went to the Rowdy Raven and you-"

"Rowdy Raven?!?" he pulled you away, gently gripping onto your shoulders, "What were you doing all the way there?"

"Getting the salty bitters?" you said, gesturing to the bottle of the said drink in your hands.

"Weren't we supposed to get the tea first?" he asked, raising a bag with the dry herbs.

"Ohh..." you lightly slapped your cheek, "You're right..."

He couldn't help himself but chuckle, forgetting all of the stress he felt minutes before.

~* Epilogue *~

The two of you went home and made the said cocktail. After examining it, the two of you shared a worried look, before chugging the drink at the same time. 

In the beginning, the cocktail tasted bitter, with the tone of alcohol and caffeine in it, but it was still drinkable, and neither one of you seemed to mind it. In fact, it seemed Julian even liked this weird combination, judging by the way his lips moved into a small smile. However, that face of satisfaction seemed to disappear as soon as the drink got to your throats. You spat the drink, looking for a glass of water to remove the acidic taste that was stuck in your throat. Julian, on the other hand, exaggerated a bit, with him spitting the drink and gasping for air, accompanied by the words: 

"I'm pretty sure this is what Devil's piss tastes like."

Overall, the two of you decided to throw the drink away, not mentioning this incident ever again.

**Nadia:**

And once again, you've gone with Nadia for a walk through a marketplace, assuring her you don't need anything. The two of you have been chatting along the way, talking about some of the meetings Nadia has to attend this evening.

Natiqa approached Nadia, staring a little chat. You, however, didn't notice that she stopped and continued walking. 

"Oh, I have just come from Prakra," her sister said, "There were travelling magicians passing by,"

"And?" Nadia asked, there have never been any magicians in Prakra, not that she can remember though.

"And they pulled off some magic," she stopped talking for a moment to draw a rainbow with her hands" and suddenly birds and colourful butterflies were flying all over their place."

"I suppose it could be rather interesting," the countess nodded after listening to her story, "I have never seen something similar, what do you think MC?" she turned on her left, but only then she noticed you were gone.

"MC?" she called out for you once again, with a clear tone of worry in her voice, "Have you seen her?" she turned to her sister who only shrugged in response.

"I didn't even know the two of you were together."

"Where could they go?" she wondered as she looked through the nearest shops for you.

Once Nadia made sure she hasn't left any of the nearby shops unchecked, she stopped for a moment to think where you could have possibly gone. She would've most likely continued to run all of the possible scenarios of what could've happened to you if Natiqa didn't show up with you, who has been nibbling on the fresh pastry.

"Don't worry, Dia," she said as she pets your head, "This little troublemaker was just hungry."

Months after that incident Nadia would still tease you whenever the two of you would go to the Market.

"Now, now, don't get lost because of some pumpkin bread."

**Portia:**

Portia had to go to buy Nadia something to mend her headaches, and you decided to tag along. As always, Portia would chatter with you, only stopping her small talk when she would see something interesting.

As she was 'debunking' one of Julian's many unusual stories, you were being pickpocketed. You've realised what was happening a bit too late, as the thief was already running away. When Portia saw your pouch in the stranger's hands she immediately started to run after them.

"Get back here, bastard," she shouted as she sprinted towards them.

The thief had soon realised that taking your pouch was a stupid idea since Portia was a lot faster than what she looked like. She quickly caught up with the thief, punching them wherever she could. The guards quickly noticed that something was going on, and they immediately took the thief away.

"That idiot," Portia said in between gasps, "I hope he gets what he deserves, am I right MC?"

She gasped for a moment, waiting for your answer, but she didn't hear it.

"What's wrong, Pepi got your tongue?" she turned on her left, but you were not there. At that moment, she realised that you most likely couldn't keep up with her speed, so she ran back to the place she has seen you last time.

As she was running, she noticed you amongst the crowd, asking some people if they've seen Portia.

"Oh, there you are!" she stopped sprinting and walked to you, "Don't worry, I got my pouch back. Come on now, let's go for that medicine."

The two of you bought the medicine for a surprisingly cheap price. Later on, the two of you spent the evening in peace, with you making Portia pudding as thanks, with her rambles about how her legs are sore here and there.

**Muriel:**

After many pleas and annoying beggings, you finally made Muriel go out to the market with you. He was a bit nervous since the marketplace was quite crowded that day, so he was surprised when he accidentally bumped into one lady, making her drop all of the goods she had bought.

With constant apologies, he helped her collect the dropped stuff, being careful not to ruin anything again. When he was done, he looked over to you, however, you weren't there. He straightened his posture and started looking for you, being too shy to call out to you or ask anyone for help. Eventually, he hid in one of the back alleys, imagining the worst scenarios.

What if someone hurt you? What if you got lost? What if you abandoned him because he just can't keep up a simple conversation? What if-?

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a certain magician giving him the tightest hug ever.

"Where have you been?" you asked, pulling away from him to put on a scarf you've bought for him around his neck, "I just saw this one and thought it would look great on you. Do you like it?"

He touched the sky blue scarf with his fingertips, still, a bit confused from everything that has just happened. After a couple of seconds, he responded with a small nod, returning the hug.

Since then he would always hold your hand wherever the two of you went together, not letting you go out of his sight.

**Lucio:**

The marketplace was loud and cheerful this lovely evening and it seemed like the two of you were the centre of that noise. Of course, Lucio enjoyed this attention and couldn't stop himself from talking about all of his great battles to the shopkeepers who clearly couldn't care less. You, on the other hand, were not so keen. So when the chance to sneak past him occurred, you quickly did so, wanting to see what that newly opened shop is selling. 

After the thorough monologue about one of his earliest battles, Lucio turned away from an uninterested shopkeeper, looking for your reaction on his marvellous story. Needless to say, he looked shocked when he saw you missing. He shouted for you, storming out of the shop, hoping to find you. The guards that were walking by were immediately appointed to find you. For hours he has been looking for you, checking every shop in hopes to find you. 

After many failed attempts to find you, he assumed the worst, you were kidnapped. He stormed back into the palace, ordering every guard to drop whatever they were doing so that they could find you.  
It was then when the servants informed him that you have long returned to the palace.

_You came to the store Lucio was in to find him still talking about his journeys. You knew you had no time nor will make him stop rambling, so you went back to the palace, leaving a crimson cape you bought him on his desk before you went to sleep._


	2. Main six + courtiers and their characters for D&D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just my opinion on what they'd choose to play as. Over time, I will add more and more detail.

**Asra:**  
_Race:_ Kalashtar  
_Class:_ Wizard  
_Background:_ Far traveller  
_Feat:_ magic initiate  
_Alignment:_ True neutral _Strength:_ 12  
_Dexterity:_ 13  
_Constitution:_ 14  
_Intelligence:_ 16  
_Wisdom:_ 15  
_Charisma:_ 12 _AC:_ 11  
_Initiative:+1_  
_Speed:_ 30ft  
_Items:_ a spellbook, a quarterstaff, scholar's pack, arcane focus, a deck of cards, lyre, 1 set of ttraveler's clothes, map, a piece of jewellery worth 10gp, a pouch containing 5gp  
_Health points:_ 7  
  


**Julian:**

_Race:_ Human  
_Class:_ Bard  
_Background:_ Sailor  
_Feat:_ tavern brawler  
_Alignment:_ chaotic good  
_Strength:_ 12  
_Dexterity:_ 16  
_Constitution:_ 16  
_Intelligence:_ 14  
_Wisdom:_ 14  
_Charisma:_ 19  
_AC:_ 11  
_Initiative:+1_  
_Speed:_ 30ft  
_Items:_ A belaying pin (club), 50 feet of silk rope, a lucky charm, a set of common clothes, a rapier, entertainer’s pack, a kazoo and a belt pouch containing 10 gp  
_Health points:_ 11  


**Nadia:**

_Race:_ Elf  
_Class:_ Monk  
_Background:_ Noble  
_Feat:_ Lucky  
_Alignment:_ Neutral good  
_Strength:_ 11  
_Dexterity:_ 20  
_Constitution:_ 11  
_Intelligence:_ 14  
_Wisdom:_ 14  
_Charisma:_ 12  
_AC:_ 17  
_Initiative:+5_  
_Speed:_ 30ft  
_Items:_ quarterstaff, explorer's pack, 10 darts, a set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 25 gp  
_Health points:_ 8  


**Portia:**

_Race:_ Tabaxi  
_Class:_ Ranger  
_Background:_ Archaeologist  
_Feat:_ Sharpshooter  
_Alignment:_ Chaotic neutral  
_Strength:_ 10  
_Dexterity:_ 18  
_Constitution:_ 11  
_Intelligence:_ 13  
_Wisdom:_ 13  
_Charisma:_ 16  
_AC:_ 16  
_Initiative:+4_  
_Speed:_ 30ft  
_Items:_ scale mail, two shortswords, longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows, a dungeoneer’s pack, a wooden case containing a map to a ruin or dungeon, a bullseye lantern, a miner's pick, a set of traveler's clothes, a shovel, a two-person tent, a trinket recovered from a dig site, and a pouch containing 25 gp  
_Health points:_ 10  


**Muriel:**

_Race:_ Firbolg  
_Class:_ Druid  
_Background:_ Hermit  
_Feat:_ Keen mind  
_Alignment:_ True neutral  
_Strength:_ 13  
_Dexterity:_ 16  
_Constitution:_ 15  
_Intelligence:_ 15  
_Wisdom:_ 17  
_Charisma:_ 14  
_AC:_ 16  
_Initiative:+3_  
_Speed:_ 30ft  
_Items:_ A scroll case stuffed full of notes from studies or prayers, a wooden shield, a scimitar, Leather armor, an explorer’s pack, and a druidic focus a winter blanket, a set of common clothes, an herbalism kit, and 5 gp  
_Health points:_ 10  


**Lucio:**

_Race:_ Triton  
_Class:_ Fighter  
_Background:_ Folk hero  
_Feat:_ Tough  
_Alignment:_ Chaotic good  
_Strength: 17_  
_Dexterity: 13_  
_Constitution: 17_  
_Intelligence: 10_  
_Wisdom: 11_  
_Charisma: 13_  
_AC:_ 16  
_Initiative:+1_  
_Speed:_ 30ft  
_Equipment:_ Rapier, two handaxes, chain mail, shield, explorers pack, shovel, smith's tools, iron pot, set of common clothes  
_Health points:_ 15  


**Volta:**

_Race:_ Aasimar  
_Class:_ Life Cleric  
_Background:_ Sage  
_Feat:_ Healer  
_Alignment:_ Lawful good  
_Strength: 11_  
_Dexterity: 13_  
_Constitution: 15_  
_Intelligence:12_  
_Wisdom: 16_  
_Charisma: 13_  
_AC:_ 14  
_Initiative:+1_  
_Speed:_ 30ft  
_Items:_ leather armour, a shield and a holy symbol, a priest’s pack, a light crossbow and 20 bolts, a bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a dead colleague posing a question, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp  
_Health points:_ 10  


**Vulgora:**

_Race:_ Dragonborn  
_Class:_ Barbarian  
_Background:_ Soldier  
_Feat:_ Weapon master  
_Alignment:_ Chaotic evil  
_Strength: 19_  
_Dexterity: 8_  
_Constitution: 16_  
_Intelligence: 9_  
_Wisdom: 12_  
_Charisma: 14_  
_AC:_ 13  
_Initiative:+1_  
_Speed:_ 30ft  
_Weapons:_  
_Armour:_  
_Health points:_  


**Vlastomil:**

_Race:_ Yuan-ti  
_Class:_ Sorcerer  
_Background:_ Guild artisan  
_Feat:_ Mage slayer  
_Alignment:_ Neutral good  
_Strength: 12_  
_Dexterity: 14_  
_Constitution: 16_  
_Intelligence: 16_  
_Wisdom: 13_  
_Charisma: 18_  
_AC:_ 11  
_Initiative:+1_  
_Speed:_ 30ft  
_Weapons:_  
_Armour:_  
_Health points:_  


**Valerius:**

_Race:_ High-elf  
_Class:_ Paladin  
_Background:_ Courtier  
_Feat:_ Alert  
_Alignment:_ Lawful good  
_Strength: 16_  
_Dexterity: 13_  
_Constitution: 14_  
_Intelligence: 14_  
_Wisdom:13_  
_Charisma: 14_  
_AC:_ 18  
_Initiative:+6_  
_Speed:_ 30ft  
_Items:_ rapier and a shield, five javelins, chain mail and a holy symbol, a set of fine clothes and a pouch containing 5 gp  
_Health points:_ 12  


**Valdemar:**

_Race:_ Tiefling  
_Class:_ Necromancer  
_Background:_ Anthropologist  
_Feat:_ Dungeon delver  
_Alignment:_ Neutral evil  
_Strength:12_  
_Dexterity:12_  
_Constitution:13_  
_Intelligence: 16_  
_Wisdom: 18_  
_Charisma: 15_  
_AC:_ 11  
_Initiative:+1_  
_Speed:_ 30ft  
_Items:_ scholar's pack, an arcane focus, a sickle, a leather-bound diary, a bottle of ink, an ink pen, a set of traveler's clothes, one trinket of special significance, and a pouch containing 10 gp  
_Health points:_ 7  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be about all of them playing one session with MC as the DM :)


	3. Main six + courtiers playing D&D part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a first part of this chapter. I'll post other parts soon :)

"Alright, now that everyone's here," you said as you were looking over your papers, "Let's get started, shall we?"

"Wait, wait," Vulgora said, swinging their character sheet in the air, "How did you calculate any of these things? Why _the fuck_ is here +5" she pointed at their intimidation stat, then moved her finger to the persuasion stat, "And here it's +3?"

"It's because you've added your proficiency bonus there," Nadia explained as she stirred her coffee.

"Proficiency?" they asked, frowning.

"That coloured dot," Julian said.

"Ohh, _ohhhh_ , that makes sense now," they put the paper down and took the large gulp of their beer, recklessly spilling it over the white sheet of paper.

Valerius moves his chair away from the pontifex, as well as his character sheets, "So, I can leave in three hours, right?"

"Why would you want to leave so soon?" you asked them, pouring them a glass of wine.

"Because there is no fulfilment in wasting time with filling these sheets and sitting idly, spending the precious time in useless chatter about non-existing worlds and their non-existing characters going into non-existing journeys," quaestor added as they pulled a chair in between Volta and Vulgora, "If your heart yearns for such journeys and adventures then why don't you go on and experience them on your own?"

"I see you've done some research," Portia adds as she put a huge tray of food next to the procurator, "Ilya remember when we used to play D&D?"

Julian gave his sister a wide grin, "Oh, I remember when you started yelling at me whenever I would be a DM."

"Well that's because you would never let me do anything I wanted to," she put a cup of tea next to the praetor, "Careful, it's still hot."

"So how long do we play this game?" Vlastomil asked, "I need to take care of my dear Wriggler. Oh, how sad she was when I left," he frowned, quickly wiping a single dear, "She must be worried sick, wriggling around, eating her sorrows away..."

"Oh, I can completely understand her, yes I can," Volta rose her head from her food, giving the praetor an understanding look, "I always eat when I'm stressed and anxious."

"You always eat, though," Asra commented before facing Julian, "Did I fill this right?" they asked him.

"Hm, let me see," he took the papers, along with the player's handbook. He would list through the pages, not bothering to check the book content, only stopping when he needed to check the papers.

"Here," he pointed at the skills, "You can check another stat you want."

"Oh, thanks," they took the pencil and checked insight, adding the proficiency bonus.

"So, shall we begin then?" you asked as you raised DM's screen.

"Why do you have that?!? Where is mine?!?"

"Yeah, I want some too!" Lucio demanded.

"But I _am_ the DM, players can't have this."

"Can we just begin already?" Muriel said something for the first time, "I just want to leave."

"Alright, _fine_. I hope you've all made yourselves comfortable because we won't take a break for a while."

"Oh, that's no good, no, that is terrible," tiny procurator said as she was chewing her food, spilling some of it out, "What about the food? We're almost out!"

"Don't worry dear," Nadia said, as she was taking one of her rings out, cleaning the emerald with her sleeve, "Food will be brought over the time, so let's just begin already."

"Alright, alright, let's begin now," you said as you gathered magic in your hands, letting it poof and cover the top of the table, "The story begins in a small tavern on the northern side of the human village-"

"Let's smash their skulls and claim all of their things!" Vulgora said as they smashed their fist on the table, moving the mist away.

"I mean, you _could_ do that," you said, putting your finger on your lips as you gave their idea a bit more thought. Once you've come up with the satisfying idea, you started to control the mist, folding it to your liking, until the mist turned into an inside of a tavern, with all of their characters sitting on one table, some of them drinking, others talking(more like arguing) and others playing a game of cards.

Amongst them, there is one certain Dragonborn who can't seem to calm down. They stand up, walking over the table, then announcing their idea loudly enough for the other PC's to hear:

"Let's kill everyone in this stupid village!" the Dragonborn said.

"I don't know, I kinda like it here," Julian's PC said as they took another glass of beer.

"Oh, I _love_ this magic smoke!" he said as he grabbed a handful of popcorn, munching on it as he tried not to spill it.

"I'll try my best to make it as realistic as possible," you said, as you stopped motioning with your hands once you were sure the magic will last, "But anyway, any other thoughts on Vulgora's idea?"

" _Absolutely_ no." Nadia and her character said in unision.

"I have to agree with the countess," Valerius said as he went through his character sheets, "The guards will kill us all."

"No they _won't_ ," Vulgora responded sharply, "There are so many of us, we will kill them all!"

"We are all first level, so I doubt it," Portia said, taking the tray of food and setting it in front of hungry Volta.

"Wait, there are _levels_ here," praetor asked, his head buried in the player's handbook, not understanding anything.

"Yes, twenty of them, apparently," Valdemar added calmly, clearly bored;  
"Um, is that supposed to happen?" Muriel asked as they pointed towards a figure walking towards their PC's.

With a sly grin, you started to tell them your story. Altering your voice to what you believe a tall, middle-aged sorcerer would sound like. 

Everyone looked at each other as if they thought that the other knew what was going on. Once they realised that this is most likely something about your story, they looked at the fog and listened to the old sorcerer.

"So... you must be the adventurers who want to," he quickly took a glance at the other people in the tavern, leaning towards the table the group was sitting in, and, with a low voice, said, "Kill the gods?"

"I, uh," Muriel stuttered, not knowing how to react, however, Asra started talking, moving the attention to them and, with a sly grin, said "Yes, you got the right people."

"Oh, ho, so it is indeed you," he chuckled, "What an... interesting bunch you are... reminds me of the last adventurers who have tried to do what you long for..." he smiled, "Ohh, those were the times, yes indeed they were."

"Tell us more about them," Portia insisted.

"Ohh, they were, you know, quite the colourful bunch," he said, "Though not as big as you are. Just a small group of three, a human, tiefling and a..." he stopped talking for a moment, taking the time to run their bony hands through the beard, "A, hmm, was she a pureblood, or a human too... I can't quite recall," he shrugged it off with a simple gesture of hands, "It doesn't matter. The important, and a quite interesting part, is that they were all wronged by the world and-"

"Oh, please make it quick, I don't care about them!" Vulgora's PC said.

"I use my cantrip prestidigitation to muffle out their complains," Asra said.

"Okay, you succeeded," you said, through a giggle as you muted Vulgora's endless number of complaints.

"," Vulgora tried to say something, but no words could be heard from their lips. However, this couldn't stop them, so they signed to Asra a few words, probably the only ones they knew how to sign: _I'll crush you, wizard boy!_

"Sorry about that my good sir," Nadia's PC turned on her chair, calling a taverner, "Could you please bring us some ginger ale for this gentleman?"

The sorcerer chuckled, satisfied with the free drink and continued, "Well then, where was I again, ah yes," he stroke his long beard as he recalled the lore, "Those three were, quite a chaotic bunch to say the least. They all hated this society, but they didn't blame the government, no no, they blamed the gods who have created this world. So anyway, what is the reason behind your decision?" he leaned to Muriel's druid, "Is it power, glory and praise? No, you don't look like the type who desires such things..." he muttered, leaning towards the evil Tiefling, "What about you, oh I think I know!" he nodded with satisfaction, "You seek the answers, young one, don't you? Or maybe it's the curiosity; what would the world be like with no god? Oh, ho, ho..." he sat back to his chair, just in time as he was handed the beverage and took a huge gulp, choking on it. With a few loud coughs, he calmed down and continued, "Well then, I must warn you, everyone who tried to kill a God has met the same fate, so I truly hope that your reason is worth it."

"Of course it is!" Lucio exclaimed, happy that the attention finally focused on him, "If we kill Gods, then everyone would be forced to become an atheist, and the only person that they could worship would be _me_!"

Everyone took a moment of silence to think through his preposterous statement. Julian and Portia tried to muffle their laugh, while Vugora, who finally got the ability to talk again stayed silent.

"Well, I mean," the old man started, "I _guess_ it's not that bad. There wouldn't be any cultist attacks anymore..." he stayed silent after that statement as he, slowly this time, took a sip of the drink. Once he had drunk it all, he stood up, "Well, thank you, my children, for the drink, in return, I offer you the map to three of twelve artefacts that you'll need to kill a god."

"Wait, what are we supposed to do _after_ we got them?" Volta asked as she chewed on a sandwich with excitement in her eyes. She was certainly enjoying this a lot more than she had expected to.

In response, the sorcerer chuckled, but this time, there was something _odd_ in his voice, "Oh, please, only two people have gotten all three of the artefacts," after that bold statement, he seemed to have realised that he might have sounded a bit too dark, so he changed the tone, giving the group a warm smile, "But I'm sure that you could get them. Oh, ho, ho, after all, there is eleven of you, I'm sure some of you could be lucky enough."

With that, he dropped them a scroll and slowly walked towards the exit.  
"So," you said, "What will you do with the scroll?"

"Read it, obviously," Valerius responded, trying to sound as though he was bored.

"Alright. Nadia, you have opened the scroll, however, you can't understand anything it's written. However, you Valdemar seem to understand it. It's written in Infernal."

"Very well, then," they extended a hand to Nadia, "Give me the scroll."

"Um," she looked at you, as you gathered fog in your hands, forming a scroll with some unreadable words to her, but, when she handed it to Valdemar, they seemed to be able to read it. They didn't read it aloud, instead, they simply rolled their eyes.

"Come on, read it already!" Valstomil demanded.

"Very well then," they started reading a scroll, with a dull voice"Hot elf moms in your area are looking for a good time. No need for a pouch, they just want your big-"

"WRONG SCROLL, WRONG SCROLL!!!" the sorcerer rushed into the tavern, snatching the scroll, replacing it with a lot older one, a bit ripped at the side.

Everyone, excluding some burst into laughter. Portia's face has gotten so red that Julian laughed even louder, pointing at her, even though he didn't look any better. Asra tried to hold in the laugh, knowing that this is not the joke they should laugh at, while Muriel innocently asked Volta what was the big thing elf moms wanted. Neither one of them knew the answer, so they asked Vulgora, who gladly responded with: "Elves want the di-" they stopped as soon as they saw the Countess' disapproving look.

"I swear if this one is also a 'wrong scroll' I'm leaving," Valerius said.

"Alright, alright," you said, a bit disappointed that not everyone enjoyed the joke as much as you did, "Here you go, Julian" you handed him another scroll.

He took it and, with a bit of scepticism, started reading in a dramatic voice, accenting a random word that he found interesting: "The first artefact is Abaddon's dagger. It lies untouched in the Saint Milu's church, slowly rusting away, waiting for its owner to return, or perhaps, for another champion worthy of them..." he stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath and asked in a normal tone: "So, how was that?"

"Perfect Ilyushka!" Portia said with a smile, "You can read the scrolls from now on!" she shifted her gaze to you, "So, how are we supposed to find that dagger?"

"I don't know," you sulked into your seat, "You're supposed to think of an idea," you slowly straightened your posture, "But, if you get stuck, I guess I will help you out."

"Shouldn't we go ask some people about that church?" Volta asked as she bit on cherry cheesecake.

"That seems to be the best option," Nadia concluded, "Then, let's go, shall we?"

Before they left, Julian took a d20 and said with a smirk, "I roll sleight of hand check to see if I can steal some money from that dude drinking beer," he pointed at some random guy sitting next to the exit.

"Alright," you said, "Go on."

He put the dice in between his hands, pretending to pray and rolled it. The dice hit Volta's plate, to which she flinched, and then finally, the dice stopped. It rolled on 16.

"Yeah, you succeeded," you started as you grabbed some popcorn, "You took a little pouch, containing 2gp."

"I walk to the gentleman and inform him that his pouch has been stolen by this _terrible_ man," Valerius said with a sly grin as he sipped his wine.

" _Dude NO!_ " Julian shouted.

Before you could determine the outcome you turned to see if Valerius is still sure about his decision, to which he simply nodded. Amused by the way this is going so far, you said: "Well, you've told the man about the stolen money," you shifted your hands up, moulding the fog to your imagination, then continued talking in a masculine voice, "That rascal! Thank you, my man, at least some of this youth is still polite," the man stood up, walked to Julian, slapped him right across the face and took the old pouch from his hands, "How disrespectful, did your mother teach you that?!?!"

Asra giggled like a highschooler while Muriel looked amused as he listened to Volta commenting about how, if he were to steal her food, she would have given him more than just a slap.

"Roll a d20 to see how bad the imprint looks," you took the d20 that still laid next to Volta's plate to Julian. This time, he didn't do anything fancy, instead, he just rolled it expecting to get some low number.

" **Natural** twenty," you snorted, hiding your face in your hands from laughter, "Oh my god," you felt your face getting redder and redder from the lack of oxygen, "Yeah, that will _defenetely_ leave a mark," you shifted the fog towards Julian's face, imprinting a red handprint across his left cheek.

"You look like a fucking idiot!" Vulgora laughed their ass off, pointing at Julian's face.

"Serves you right for doing such a crime!" Vlastomil added, along with Volta who just nodded in approval, too busy with eating to respond.

"Was it really necessary for you to be a snitch, consul?" Nadia asked, "After all, I believe that the point of the game is to do anything you want."

Valerius, in response, gave an ironic smile, lowering his head as if he were to bow, "But countess, I am simply acting according to my," he raised his sheet, "Alignment."

"Can we beat our teammates?" Portia asked.

"Why not," you smiled, still thinking about Julain's scar.

"Okay, so, consul," Portia turned to Valerius, "If you decide to be a snitch _again_ , " she put her hand on Asra's shoulder, "We will beat you up!"

"Just take all of his possessions and give it to the poor if he likes helping so much," Muriel commented as he peeled lemon as if it were an orange.

"Muriel," Portia walked to him and gave him the tightest hug she could, "You're a genius! MC, give him 50gp for such a brilliant idea!"

"Sorry, but I can't," you shifted in your seat as you arranged some of the papers, "But I can continue with the story!"

"Finally, I was getting bored," Valdemar said, "When can I summon the dead?"

"When you reach the third level, I believe," you gave them a quick response and then continued talking about the campaign, "So anyway, you leave the tavern with Julian. who is still dazed by the slap-"

"You'll make this a permanent scar, won't you?" he asked as he pointed at his face.

"Of course I will. So, you left the tavern and noticed a bleeding beggar on the side, what do you do?"

"Valerius, this is your chance!" Asra said mockingly.

"Can we help them?" Volta asked, looking at the fog, "She looks like she hasn't been eating for days!"

"They're bleeding and you're caring about _that_ ," Lucio turned to Volta, then to others, "Why should we do anything? MC is probably just messing with us."

"Like with that scroll!" Vlastomil agreed.

"Do they have anything valuable that we could take?" Valdemar asked.

"Oh, I'm glad you're finally getting the hang of roleplaying, quaestor, but no, they don't have anything useful."

"Hm," the quaestor was silent for a moment, then they responded with a gleam of delight in their eyes, "I need components for my spells, no?" they didn't give you the time to respond, "While she may not have any valuables, she still has bones, doesn't she?"

"Valdemar no!" Nadia said.

"Why not, after all, _the point of the game is to do anything you want,_ isn't it?" Valerius, said, still a bit salty.

"Shut up, all of you!" Portia said as she slammed her hands on the table, which made you flinch, "At this point, she'll bleed to death! Julian do something!"

"Why me?"

"Because you have Cure wounds! Use it to heal her!"

"But then I'll spend my slot."

"BuT tHeN I'lL sPeNd mY sLoT," she said as she mimicked him, "I don't care, do it, or else I'll give you a matching scar on the other cheek!"

"Fine... I use my spell on the beggar."

"Okay, you succeeded, the beggar is not bleeding, what now?" you asked.

"I give her some of my food rations," Volta said.

"Alright," you changed the fog to show a healed beggar with some food in front of her, "You've helped her, congrats, but she doesn't say anything, instead, she just stares at you."

"Let's just keep going," Asra said, "We've done enough."

"I agree, let's go for that dagger!"

"But we don't know where it is," Vlastomil said.

"Let's just snoop around then," Portia said with a smile.

"You're in a town," you pointed at the fog which showed their PC's walking around the village, "What now?"

"We ask the NPC's if they know where that church is," Asra said as his PC walked to one woman, "Excuse me, do you know where..." he stopped for a moment to think, " Saint Milu is?"

"Why I do," she said, "But, are you sure you want to go? It's very dangerous."

"Of course we do!" Vulgora added, "Nothing is too dangerous, you're just making a fuss over nothing!"

"Well, if you're so confident, then if you _do_ go there and return alive, I'll tell my dad and he'll reward you."

"Um...sure?" Asra said, a bit reluctant.

"But I need proof that you were there!"

"Sure, what do you want?"

"How am I supposed to know that?" she pouted, "I've never gone there myself. I told you it's too dangerous, remember?"

"Alright, alright, we'll bring you a battle trophy, just tell us where to go, goddammit!" Vulgora said, clearly losing their patience.

"Alright, alright, sheesh," she said, "Just go north from the city's shop. It's the last house in the village, just straight forward," she extended her hand in front of herself, "You can't miss it!"

"Thank you," Julian said, "By the way, has anyone ever told you you look dazzling?"

"Why thank you, " she smiled, "Too bad I can't say the same for your face," she giggled and went her way.

"OH MY GOD!!!" Portia snorted, unable to sustain the laughter.

"You'll keep doing this to me, won't you?" Julian asked defeated.

You nodded and continued., with the narration: "You've walked to the small shop. Do you want to stop by to buy some things?"

All of them agreed and went inside.

"Oh, travellers, I haven't seen any of them in a while. Greetings, greetings, how may I help you," he turned to Vlastomil and Valdemar's PC, to which he immediately shouted, shaking in fear, "Oh GOD, please, please don't kill me! I don't have any valuables, nor do I have much money, plus I'm not tasty, see?" he pointed at himself, "I'm only skin and bone! I barely have anything to feed my son with, please, _please_ spare me!"

"Um, sir," Nadia said, "We are not here to kill you... we just want to buy something."

"You do?" the man straightened himself, grasping at Nadia's hands with tears of joy, "Oh thank you, _thank you_! I thought this was going to be the last day of my life! Please, ask for anything that you need!"

"Do you have healer's kit?" Volta asked.

"Why I certainly do, my dear," the shopkeeper responded, "That'll be 7gp."

"But isn't the price for that 5gp?" Portia asked.

"It is," the shopkeeper said, "However, I had to buy this in the town and to go all the way to here. Plus I'm also the only shopkeeper in all of the nearby villages."

"Could you give us a special price," Julian asked, "After all we are the adventurers, so we'll surely buy many things!"

"Are you buying the healer's kit for him, dear?" he asked Volta, "I doubt that will be enough to help him," before Julian could protest about the rude comment again, the shopkeeper clapped his hands and said, "But I sure know what could help you!" he bowed down and took a little bottle, "Mommy's kiss!"

"Mommy's kiss?"

"Yes, mommy's kiss is a powerful cream that can clear your skin from any acne, blackheads and, most importantly, scars! Suitable for any race and any skin type! My son loves it!"

"If that's the only thing that will remove this scar, then sure. How much for Mommy's kiss?"

"Well, this is a rare cream that can remove _any_ skin imperfection, but for you, my fine gentleman, I'll lower the price to 200 gp!"

"Two hundred gold pieces for that tiny bottle!?!"

"Well, it _is_ Mommy's kiss, after all."

"Sorry, but I'll have to pass."

"But I'll take the healer's kit," Volta said.

"And I'll take five arrows," Portia said.

"Why does the Great axe cost 30gp?!?" Lucio asked.

"But I only have 10!!!" Vulgora said, "How can we get the money?!?"

"Well, if you go to the Saint Milu, you'll get some money," you said.

"Ughh, fine..."

"Excuse me, sir," Valdemar leaned to the shopkeeper who nervously sweated, "Do you, by any chance, sell bones of the humanoids?"

"Eek!" the shopkeeper said.

"Okay, so, Valdemar, the shopkeeper is terrified of you," you started, "Because of that, you have an advantage on rolling intimidation check. So if you want to force them to give you something, feel free to try."

"Oh, how fun," Valdemar's eyes glowed with joy, "Are there any scrolls here?"

"I, I do have some scrolls," he said, visibly shaking.

"I'll take the one with the inflict wounds spell," they said.

You threw two d20 at them, "Roll them, the AC is 15."

They rolled the dice, where one dice landed on 4 while the other one on 14.

"Is your intimidation at least +1?"

They took a glance at the skills table and gave you a toothy grin.

"You got the scroll, however, the shopkeeper told you to get out or else he'll call the guards."

"Too bad. Looks like you're not going to get Mommy's kiss, Ilyushka!"

"Fear not, we're going to find you Mommy's kiss in some other shop," Lucio said, laughing mid-sentence.

"So, because Muriel has a keen mind feat, he leads all of you north."

"You go Muri!" Portia cheered.

"...Thanks."


	4. Main six + courtiers playing D&D part 2

"And _then_ ," you changed the fog, showing a campfire with orcs and goblin's in front of it, barbequing an already dead man. The floor was separated from the tiles, and their characters were hiding behind some rocks and trees.

"We can beat them up? _Finally!_ It was about time!"

"Before you start though," you said, "I suggest that you position yourselves however you want, and I also advise the fighters to take out their weapons."

After a while of rambling and shouting, all of them have positioned accordingly: Muriel was next to Asra, who was near a group of 4 goblins, Volta was right behind Vulgora and Lucio who went straight for the ogres by the campfire, while Portia teamed up with Nadia and Julian. As for Valdemar, Vlastomil and Valerius, they formed a small team together, with Valerius right in front of the group of orcs and goblins, protecting the two spellcasters.

"Shall we begin then?" you asked as you handed them all d20.

All of you rolled the dices, and once you've all finished, the turn's looked something like this:

Valerius, goblin 1, goblin 2, goblin 3, goblin 4, Julian, Muriel, orc 1, orc 2, Valdemar, Lucio, goblin 5, goblin 6, goblin 7, Vlastomil, Portia, orc 3, orc 4, orc 5, orc 6, Asra, Nadia, goblin 8, goblin 9, Volta, Vulgora.

"How am I the last one?!?"

"You rolled 1," you simply responded to Vulgora's complaints.

"You know what? Fuck it, I'll beat them all anyway."

"Alright," you ignored Vulgora's comments and asked Valerius, "What do you do?"

"Let's see..." he took a glance at everyone's position, then on everyone's turns, "Those four goblins will kill you two," he told Asra and Muriel, "So I will throw one of my javelins at the goblin 1."

"Let me just check quickly if you can do that," you counted the tiles and said, "Yeah, you can. Roll a d20."

"I'm near him, so I expend one of my bardic inspiration dice for the attack!" Julian said.

"Okay," he said and threw the d20. It rolled on 15.

"Just enough," you smiled happily as you threw him two six-sided dices, "Now roll these two for the damage."

Once again, he rolled the dices without much care, getting 5 on both of them.

"It seems like you get just enough of everything," you said, a bit surprised, " But you made the goblin fall on the ground, dead. Now, it's the other three's turn," you raised a d6, "I'll be fair since the two of you are right next to each other. If it rolls on an even number, one goblin will attack Asra, but if it rolls on the uneven number, one goblin will attack Muriel, alright?" once the two of them nodded in agreement, you rolled the dice three times, "Let's see...6...5 and a...1. So, Asra, you will take 1 hit while Muriel will take 2. Now, let's see... Muriel, what's your armour class?"

"16..." he said, sighing.

"Okay, and yours?" you asked Asra.

"Eleven," they took a deep breath and straightened their posture, trying to look bigger, "But it's the strong eleven AC."

"Doubt it..." Julian said.

"Alrighty then," you took two d20 dices and rolled them, "Five and nineteen... One goblin misses you, Muriel, but the other one hits you with a..." you took a small notebook in which you've written all of the monsters, "Let's see..." you flipped through the pages until you've found a goblin, "He hits you with a scimitar and deals," you threw a d6 dice which landed on two, "Two plus two is... four damage."

"Write you new health points here," Asra explained to Muriel.

"As for you, strong wizard," you picked up one d20 roll, and threw it, "Four. The goblin failed."

"What did I tell you? My armour class is unbreakable!" they grinned with pride.

"We'll see about that..."

"Now it's my turn," Julian said happily, "Sooo, I'm going to move that one scary orc away with one of my _amazing_ spell - _DISSONANT WHISPERS!!!_ "

"Was that long introduction really necessary, doctor 069?"

"Roll a d20, and if you succeed, you must come up with something scary to say," you said.

"Very well then," he rolled a d20, rolling on 15.

You looked down at the list of the monsters, "How lucky..."

"And now, my 3d6!" he exclaimed dramatically as he grabbed the three nearest 6-sided dices and rolled them as he added, "There is a huge moth on your back!"

"Like Valerius, you rolled it perfectly," you commented, with a grain of salt in your voice, "I expected you to struggle..." you scratched the orc's name and continued, "Well Muriel, what will you do?"

"Do I have to fight?" he frowned, "Why did we attack them in the first place... Couldn't we just go other way?"

"No, because the plot demands it."

"Hey, I have an idea!" Lucio commented, "How about we start doing the exact opposite things of what MC wants."

"Do that and I'll send an army of orcs at you."

"Who gives a fuck about orcs! I'll kill them all!"

"Maybe if you get the chance to take your turn."

"I don't have any spells for attacking..." Muriel started.

"Then why did you even take the spells in the first hand?" Vulgora asked sarcastically.

"...But I have a scimitar... So can I attack one of the goblins?"

"Sure, roll a d20."

"19..." you looked at the dice, "You sure did hit him! Now roll a d6"

"5, not too bad!" you wrote something near the goblin 2, "It's now bloodied. Now, it's the orc's turn to attack! Since the first one is dead-"

"You're welcome," Julian added.

"The other one will attack, and it has to choose between you, Portia and Nadia... Let's see, if I roll 1 or 4 it hits you, 2 or 5 it hits Portia and 3 or 6 hits Nadia," you rolled the dice, "Two," you commented, "Portia, what's your AC?"

"Sixteen!"

"Alrighty then, let's see... the Orc hits you with a greataxe and they," you rolled the dice, "Hit!"

"Dammit..."

"And they will deal... 8 slashing damage."

"Well that orc can go fuck themselves too!" she commented as she edited her health points.

"Come on, don't get angry, it's just a game," Julian smirked.

"Valdemar, what will you do?"

"Well, I suppose I should get rid of that orc, no?" they pointed at the orc on the left, closest to them.

"Sure, what are you going to do?"

"Attack with inflict wounds," they rolled the d20, which landed on 20.

"Oh my god Valdemar!" you stared at the dice.

"They never played it and they're already winning."

"Give me the ten-sided one," they ordered with a touch of joy in their voice.

"Now roll it 6 times."

"Well then, let's see... five... nine... three... four... five... ten."

"Honestly, just the first three times were enough," you checked orc 4, "Now Lucio, what will you do?" 

"Attack that one," he pointed at the one who was right next to Volta, "With a rapier," he rolled a dice, landing on 14. Once he checked to see if he dealt damage, he took a d8 and rolled it on 6.

"Alright, the third orc is bloodied!"

"And now the three goblins are attacking!" you said as you looked at Valerius, Valdemar and Vlastomil, "If I roll 1 or 2, they hit Valerius, 3 or 4 Vlastomil and 5 or 6 Valdemar!" you rolled three d6 dices, not wanting to waste time.

"Why me?!?" Vlastomil asked.

"Because I rolled 3 and 4," you gestured at the dices, "See?"

"Your ACs?" you asked the two of them.

"Sixteen," Valerius said.

"AC is this, right?" Vlastomil asked Nadia, who nodded, "It says twelve... That's bad right?"

"Well, it depends on what I'll roll. So, they all hit with a scimitar," you grabbed the three nearest d20 dices, "Let's see if they'll hit you, Valerius," you rolled one dice, which rolled on twenty, "Consul," you took a glance on him, who knew this was not good for him, "Please don't kill me for this."

"Don't worry," he sighed, "Just get over with it."

"Alright, the goblin deals... eight slashing damage."

"That one is so dead on my turn," he muttered.

"And me?" Vlastomil asked, a bit worried.

"As for you praetor," you rolled two d20s as you glanced over at the papers, grinning to yourself, then checking at the dices, "Two and twelve. One misses, while the other one hits you just strong enough to deal," you rolled a d6, "Five slashing damage."

"See, it wasn't so bad," Valerius said as he sipped his wine, "Stop making a fuss over everything."

"So, it's your turn now."

"I use chaos bolt on them!" he threw the dice a bit too fiercely, hitting Asra's glass.

They leaned over the dice and said, "Fifteen."

"Yeah, you hit them, now let's see the damage," you gave him the three dices.

"Three and two fives, " he said.

"Alright, good job, I won't ask you which damage you dealt, it doesn't matter, you killed it."

"It's what it deserved!"

"My turn now!" Portia shouted, "Let me kill that orc that hit me!" she took the d20, "I'll use my feat sharpshooter on it!" she rolled the dice, "Nineteen... ugh I was so close!"

"Still, you hit him," you commented.

"I did?" she asked with delight in her eyes, "Sweet! Then I'm going to deal," she rolled the dice, "Eighteen damage! Take that!"

"It's dead."

"As it should be!"

"As for orc 5 and 6," you said, "They go for the three of you," you told Volta, Vulgora and Lucio.

"Bitches can try," Vulgora puffed their chest.

"Eek, oh no, that's bad, really bad, what will I do?"

"Nothing tiny Volta, you're just going to heal us while we kill them for you," Vulgora pat her back.

"One or two-Volta; three or four Vulgora; five or six Lucio," you said with excitement in your voice, _' They're close,'_ you thought as you rolled the dices, "Both of them hit you, Lucio!"

"Bullshit!" he looked at the dices, "You better heal me after this!"

"Oh I will, I will," she bit on the last potato in one of the plates.

"My AC is sixteen, is that good enough?" Lucio asked, a bit nervous.

You rolled the dice and frowned, "Yeah, the right one didn't do anything, as for the other one... he deals 12 damage!"

"But my health points are only 15!" he complained.

"At least be grateful that you lived!" you ignored his other complaints and turned to Asra, "So, what will you do now?"

"I'll get rid of that weak goblin with firebolt!" he said as he rolled natural one.

"Yeah, maybe on the next turn..." you grinned, "And you Nadia?"

"Since we've cleared all of our enemies," she started, "I'll go to the campfire and take out the orcs before they kill Lucio," she grinned.

"Sure, and who will you hit with what?"

"The one that hit Lucio-"

"No way, I'm going to kill them!"

"With my quarterstaff," she ignored his complaints and continued, "I can use my dexterity for that-"

"You can," you agreed.

"And I'll use my unarmed attack as a bonus action."

"Cool, now go on and try," you waited for her to roll the dice. She didn't bother to throw it too harshly, and it turns out it was a good decision.

"Eighteen," you muttered, "Yeah, you kicked him," you waited once more for her to roll a d6, "With nine damage. The orc is bloodied. And your unarmed strike should be... 6, right?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Well, the orc is dead."

"You're welcome Lucio," she grinned.

"Now goblin 8 and 9 will attack you!" you told Vulgora, Volta and Lucio, "Remember those numbers I told you! Let's see if you'll die now, Lucio!"

"I'm not going to be the first one to die!"

You have, once again, ignored his cries and rolled the dices.  
"Oh, both of them hit you, Vulgora!"

"Those two... I'll crush them!"

"They hit with a scimitar and," you rolled the dices, "If I remember correctly, your AC is 13, right?"

"Yes!" they proudly shouted as they saw that the dices showed 10 and 6, "Hah, what losers! They're dead!"

"Is it my turn now?" Volta asked.

"It is, what are you going to do?"

"Oh, I will heal the count!" she said proudly.

"Hurry!"

"Alright, alright," she winced, "I use cure wounds for that," she rolled Nadia's dice.

"You healed him for ten hp!" you exclaimed, "Congratulations!"

"Thank you," she blushed as she munched on a salad.

"And finally it's my turn!" Vulgora said, "I'll use my chad great axe to kill the remaining orc!" they rolled the dice, "Just enough!" they grinned as they rolled a d12, "Twelve, I rolled twelve!" they shouted.

"Twelve plus four..." you scratched the orc, "There are no more orcs! Valerius, what will you do?"

"I am a man of my word, therefore I shall go against that goblin! I'll throw a javelin," they said as they rolled the dice, to which he frowned, "Thirteen..."

"But with the dexterity bonus and proficiency, it's enough," you added, "Roll the d6,"

"Six..." they frowned once again.

"But, again, with the dexterity bonus, it's just enough. The goblin 6 is dead. Now, goblin 2, 3 and four will attack!" you rolled the dices, as all three of them landed on two, "Oh, sorry Asra."

"Don't worry," they smiled, "They won't be able to get through my unbreakable AC!" they joked, even though they seemed a bit nervous.

You rolled the d20 three times, "Let's see... nine, one and three... I might start to believe that you are right!"

"What did I tell you?" they sighed, relieved.

"It's my turn!" Julian said, "And I'm coming to the rescue for these two," his PC walked to Asra and Muriel, "I'll attack the hurt goblin with Vicious mockery!"

"Alright, you don't need a d20 on that, however, you have to insult them somehow," you laughed as you rolled the saving throw on it, "Your spell save is 16, right?"

"Yeah," he grinned.

"Alright, roll a d4," you said.

He grabbed the dice and threw it, dealing 3 damage.

"You should be able to kill it in the next turn, are you going to do it, Muriel?"

"Sure," he rolled the dice, "Is fourteen good enough?"

"Yeah, now roll that one," you gave him one of the dices.

"Just how many do you have," he muttered as he rolled a three.

"And it's dead, good job!"

"I'll kill that one," Valdemar said, "With chill touch."

"Alrighty, no need for a d20," you told them as you handed them a d8.

"This will take a while to clean," they commented as they looked at the table filled with dices and sheets, and rolled 5.

"It's now bloodied."

"I'll finish it off with my rapier!" he rolled the dice that landed on 12.

"Go on."

Lucio grabbed one of the d8 dices that were lying nearby and threw it, "Four, I killed it, didn't I?"

"Yup," you nodded, as you were scribbling something down, "What will you do Vlastomil?"

"Shoot them with my light crossbow," he said happily as he rolled the dice.

"Nine... sorry but it didn't work," you said as you rolled three d20s, "Maybe Portia will do better."

"Oh I will!" she said, "I'll use the sharpshooter feat and kick their asses!" she said as she rolled 13, "Oh... maybe sharpshooter wasn't a smart idea..."

"But if you add the proficiency and dexterity it's enough," Julian added.

"Ooh, nice," she smiled, "So, it's an instant kill?"

"Yeah, no need for you to roll the dice," you said as you rolled more dices, "Asra, will you do the deed?"

"I think I will," he chuckled as he took a glance at the spells, "With firebolt once again!"

"Thirteen," you took a quick glance at the dice they threw, then buried your head in some papers, "Good job, now roll the d10."

"Eight! All of them are dead!" they proudly said.

"Great, can we go get that dagger now?" Muriel said, a bit annoyed.

"Oh, but, you are at the Saint Milu's," you grinned as your plot twist unveiled, "Just not at the saint Milu's you thought you were at," you started to manipulate the fog as you talked in a low, raspy voice, "Hey there, look at what Milug found! A big tasty lizard!" a tall, heavily armoured orc said, "Milug can't wait to eat this one!" he raised the lizardfolk that struggled to get out of his grasp, "Love how it struggles!" he squeezed the lizardfolk's neck tighter, "Huh? Why is everyone sleeping...Wait, who are you?" he looked at the team, "What you do to Milug's friends?" his face got redder and redder, "You'll pay for hurting Milug's friend!!!"

"Alrighty," you straightened your posture as you took a glance at the enemies, "More of them appeared! And I've rolled their stats already, so the order should look something like this! Valerius, Milug, Julian, Muriel, Valdemar, wolf 1, orc 1, Lucio, Vlastomil, orc 2, orc 3, orc 4, orc 5, Portia, Asra, wolf 2, orc 6, Nadia, Volta, wolf 3, wolf 4, Vulgora. Notice that Milug is no ordinary orc! His attacks are much stronger and his health is higher! So beware!"

"I can't believe you did this to us!" Lucio exclaimed.

"Why are you surprised at this point?" Valerius asked, "Just try to count how many times they have trolled us in these..." he looked at the clock, "Four hours have passed already?!?"

"I told you that time flies quickly, didn't I?" you giggled, "So, what will you do?"

"I... guess I'll kill one of those wolves," he said, rolling a dice, "With a javelin."

"Alrighty," you looked at the dice, a bit taken aback, "Nineteen... Damn, not too bad, consul."

He rolled the d6 next, rolling it on 2, "So, only three damage?"

"Yeah," you said, "You should raise your dexterity on the fourth level. Now, Milug will attack!" you said as you changed your voice, "You're gonna pay!" Milug charged at Nadia with a great axe you rolled the dice, "Sixteen..."

"My AC is 17!" she said relieved.

"But you didn't calculate his bonuses!" you said with a smile forming on your lips.

"So he will attack dealing... 8 damage!"

"Valdemar, what will you do?" you turned to them.

"I'll use the spell from the scroll to attack Milug," they grinned, seeming to be excited about all of this just as much as you are.

"Go ahead, but that means you'll have to approach him..." you warned them.

"I don't care," he turned to Volta, "You'll follow right after."

"Why me, though?" she complained.

"Because you're the only healer," they grinned, "Plus you also have inflict wounds," they rolled the dice, "Is sixteen enough for this beast?"

"With all of the bonuses yes," you responded.

"Good," they said as they rolled 3 d10 dices, "Two, five and seven-plus my wisdom modifier?" they asked you.

"Yes," you commented, "So eighteen points less for poor Milug..." 

"It's still not bloodied?" Lucio asked, surprised.

"Nope! And now wolf 1 and orc 1 will attack you Lucio~!"

"Why me again?!?"

"Because you are the closest! Now, let's see... none of them hit you though..."

"Haha!" he cheered proudly, "Now I shall kill that wolf with a rapier!" he rolled a two.

"Nope, Vlastomil?"

"I'll try to hit the wolf with a crossbow," he rolled 12.

"Yeah, you hit it."

"Good," he rolled seven.

"Just perfect," you smiled as you scratched that wolf, "But now there are four orcs... Two are near Portia, while the other two are near Vulgora and Volta."

"Eek," Volta shouted.

"Let's see what will happen to Portia first."

"Oh no, they won't!"

"We'll see," you said as you rolled the dices.

"See?" she pointed at the dices, "They didn't hit me!"

"Yeah, but I suggest you run away ASAP, you only have 2hp left," after you old Portia that, you turned to Vulgora and Volta, "As for the two of you, if I roll even number, it hits Volta, but if I roll uneven it hits Vulgora," you rolled the dices, "Six and four, sorry Volta."

"Oh please, please don't! My AC is only fifteen!"

"Fourteen and ten, how lucky," you commented, "So Portia, what are you going to do?"

"I'll run away from all of the enemies!" she stopped dramatically as she raised both her hands as if she were to shoot an arrow, "Then I'll hit Milug!"

"With sharpshooter?"

"No, because I assume the AC is too big," she rolled the dice, "Nineteen!"

"Yeah, you hit him," you said.

"Dealing eleven damage!" she said after she calculated the damage.

"Now, what will you do Asra?" you asked them as you wrote down Milug's new health.

"I'll attack the wolf!" they said, "With firebolt. Though only after I get to Portia..."

"Alright," you moved Asra's PC, "Roll the dice."

And so they did, rolling 10.

"With all of the bonuses, you hit it," you stared at the d10 they rolled, "And you dealt 10 damage," you wrote it down, "So close! But now the wolf and orc will attack you, Valerius! ... but they failed..." you looked at the dices with disappointment.

"I'll run away from Milug and try to kill wolf 3," Nadia said.

"Alright, roll it."

"Fourteen," she grinned as she rolled a d6 "So three, plus five, plus-"

"Yeah, it's dead," you stopped her and turned to Volta, "What will you do?"

"I told you already!" Valdemar looked at her.

"No way! Come here and heal me!" Portia said.

"I'll heal you," Valerius said, "Let her get to Valdemar."

"You can do that?" she asked.

"Once per long rest."

"Alright then..." her PC walked behind Valdemar's, "I cast inflict wounds!" she rolled seventeen, "I hit them, right?"

You nodded.

Once she saw your approval she rolled three d10s which landed on 10,7 and 5.

"All of that, plus your wisdom modifier..." you muttered to yourself, "Congratulations, Milug is bloodied!"

"Finally!"  
"Also," Vulgora said, "I'm activating rage!"

"Alright, so now wolf 4 will attack... you Vulgora!" you rolled the dice, "It succeeded-"

"That fucker!"

"Dealing 6 damage!"

"Fuck him!" they said, "I'm going to Milug and attacking with my greataxe!" they rolled the dice.

"Yeah, you hit him."

"So I dealt..." they started calculating, "Twelve damage?"

"Yes," you wrote down the new hp, "Congrats, you're getting the hang of it! Valerius, what will you do?"

"I'll go to Portia and attack Wolf 2 from a distance."

"Hey, what about healing me?" Portia asked, a bit angry, "You said you'll heal me!"

"Afterwards!" he responded, "Stop worrying, I'm in no better situation than you."

"I have 2hp while you have 4hp, so, I say you're doing better than me!"

"Whatever," he sighed, "I'm hitting wolf 2 with my javelin..." a grin formed on consul's face, "20... I suppose the animal is dead!"

"Yeah, don't bother with rolling the damage," you said, "Now it's Milug's turn! Since you're closest to him, he'll attack you, Valdemar, with his greataxe!" you rolled the dice, "But he failed..." you stared at the 2 on d20, disappointed.

"Well, then I shall attack orc 1!" Julian said, "With my amazing vicious mockery!"

"It failed a save," you sighed.

"And now, I shall deal," he rolled a d4, "Two...plus four-Sixx damage!" he stopped as he thought of an insult, "Your mom is so fat when she walked over the play in a theatre, I missed 2 acts!"

"Julian that joke is terrible," Portia giggled, "But whatever..."

"I'll go to the orc1 and attack with the scimitar," Muriel said, "I succeeded, right?" he asked.

"Yeah."

He rolled the dice.

"Congrats Muriel!" you said, "The orc is dead!" you scratched the orc's name, "Valdemar, what shall you do?"

"I'll cast poison spray on our dear Milug," they grinned.

"Sure, you're not hitting anyone," you rolled the d20 for Milug's saving throw, "I'm sorry, but with that natural 20, you failed."

They just rolled their eyes, "Whatever," then they turned to others, "Volta, you stay here, while others go and kill the other orcs."

"Who are you to give out the demands?" Lucio asked, angrily.

"Why shouldn't I give orders? Do you know anyone better for that?" they mocked him.

"They do have a point though," Nadia explained, "If we kill all of the orcs, then we will be able to focus only on Milug."

"Ugh fine... I'm going to orc 2 and hitting it with my rapier," they rolled the dice. Once he's seen it's enough, he rolled the d8.

"Seven damage... the orc is bloodied."

"I'll move to Portia and Valerius, and shoot that orc with my crossbow!" Vlastomil said.

"For a sorcerer, you don't use that many spells," Valerius commented.

Vlastomil ignored the rude comment and rolled the dice, "Twenty!" he rolled a dice, "Seven damage!"

"You roll once more," you explained to him.

"Oh, how great!" he exclaimed as he rolled the dice again, "Three..." he stared at the dice, disappointed.

"You killed the orc though," you said, "Now the other three shall attack! Since none of you is near them, they will have to move back to Milug!"

"You gotta be kidding me..."

"Nope, so anyways - 1 and 2 for Valdemar; 3 and 4 for Volta; and 5 and 6 for Vulgora!" you rolled the dices: 5, 3 and 3.

"So, they attack Vulgora, but since they have rage it's pretty much useless..."

"Haha, there you go, fuckers!"

"So, Volta..." you rolled the dices, "Eight and fourteen... wow, you're so lucky!"

"Phew," she sighed in relief.

"Portia?" you asked.

"I'll attack that wolf with sharpshooter!" she exclaimed as she rolled the dice, "Natural twenty!!! Oh my gosh!!! Let's see... 10 from sharpshooter, plus 2 plus 6."

"It's dead, therefore, now you only have orcs. Asra?"

"I'll attack the orc 6 with firebolt!" they rolled twelve, "that, plus my wisdom is enough!" he rolled the dice, "So... with everything combined... nine damage?"

"Yeah, it's bloodied now, and ready to attack... it walks to Milug and decides to attack you, Volta!"

"Oh no..."

"...And it hits, dealing... nine damage!"

"I only have 1 hp left!" she panicked.

"Don't worry Volta," Nadia said, "I'm coming to them, attacking Milug with the quarterstaff," she rolled nineteen, "And I'll deal... five...plus five... plus my bonus attack- sixteen damage!"

"Volta, what will you do?" you asked her, "Milug is close to dying, but so are you."

"Uhh...I'll use cure wounds on myself!" she rolled the dice and grinned, "Six, I rolled six!"

"Good job, tiny one!" Vulgora grinned, "Now I shall kill Milug!" they rolled the d20 which landed on 18, "Is this enough?"

"Yup, go ahead."

"Fuck yeah!" they rolled a d12, landing on twelve, "Is Milug dead?"

"Yes."

"Let's finish orcs now," Valerius said, "I attack the hurt one with rapier... And with this eighteen I hit it, dealing... seven damage!"

"It's dead."

"Now I will attack orc 3 with vicious mockery!"

"Again?" you asked as you rolled the dice, "Sorry, but it succeeded."

"Dammit..." Julian sighed.

"I hit the orc with scimitar," Muriel said.

"You hit him," you said.

"Six damage..."

"And this time," Valdemar said, "I'll go in front of the orcs and cast poison spray!"

"Let's see if you'll succeed," you rolled three dices, "You hurt everyone except for the fifth one."

"So, I should deal...thirteen damage combined?"

"Yes, orc 3 is dead, while orc four is bloodied."

"I'll go for the orc 5," Lucio said, "With the rapier!"

"Yeah, you hit it."

"And I shall deal... Two only?!?"

"Two plus three... five damage," you concluded as you wrote something down.

"I'll walk to them and use poison spray too!"

"Sure Vlastomil... no, I'm the one who will roll dices."

"Alright..."

"Yeah, you hit them."

"Oh, how great!" he said as he rolled d12, "Ten damage!"

"You killed them both! Congratulations, you've won! Now, as for the experience... let's see... Overall, you've gotten 2160xp. You can all share it amongst each other, which means everyone will need 120xp to get to the next level, or you can ration it amongst each other so that some of you can advance."

"Let's just share it evenly," Nadia suggested, "We'll get more XP later on."

"I agree, let's not waste any more time. We should go and tell the whole village we killed Milug!" Portia said.

"But didn't that girl say that we need proof?" Muriel asked.

"Don't worry, I'll fix that in a second," Lucio said as he took out his rapier and cut off Milug's head, "This should be good enough."

"Can we take the enemy's weapons and sell them?" Valerius asked.

"Yeah, you can, but the price will be less than the original."

"Alright, let's take it all!"

"But who are we going to sell it to? That shopkeeper doesn't want to see us!"

"Ilya can go there. Maybe the guy will feel pity over him when he sees his face again."

"Oh come on, why do you have to make fun of my face?!?"

"So you will take their weapons... which means you will take over 10 great axes?"

"Now that you mention it... how are we going to do that?"

"Maybe, like, we will take turns on bringing the axes?"

"Or how about we take only the most preserved axes?" Valerius suggested, "There is no point in carrying those," he pointed at some of the axes.

"He has a point," Asra said, "Let's take those five axes, I'll use prestidigitation to clean the axes, as well as clean ourselves."

"Sure, you'll take 6 great axes with yourselves."

"Alright!" Portia said as she nudged Muriel, "Lead the way!"

"You've been walking, and walking and walking until you got to the edge of the village."

"Let's go sell the great axes!" Portia said, "Come on Julian, let's got together!"

"Alright, the two of you went inside while others are waiting for you," you changed the background into the inside of the shop, isolating other players, "Sorry, but I have to."

"Oh no, it's you rascals again! I'm calling the gu-"

"Wait! We're here to sell things, see?" Julian showed great axes.

"Where did you get those?" he asked.

"We killed Milug!"

"Like hell you did."

"But we did sir," Portia picked up one of the axes that were in better condition, "It even has his autograph," she showed him the handle with a bad carving on it.

"You, you killed him!" the shopkeeper shouted as he realised it, "I, I can't believe my eyes... I'll buy it for 700 gp!"

The siblings looked at each other, trying to think if the offer was worth it.

"I say we go for it," Portia said.

"Not so quickly," Julian shrugged, "I'll roll my persuasion check to see if I can raise the price for 760gp."

"...Sure," you said after a moment of silence, "The AC is 18 though."

He prayed quickly and rolled the dice. After a couple of moments, it stopped near you, landing on 13.

"Your bonus is?"

"Plus six."

You shrugged, a bit disappointed, but still, you kept your word," Alright, you succeeded. That greataxe is sold for 760 GPS. As for the other 5 great axes... You can sell each for 11gp."

"Fair enough," both of them said.

"Alrighty, you sold things. Do you want to buy anything?"

"Um.... ten arrows?"

"Sure young lady," the man said, "That will be... 2 GPS."

"Here ya go," she said as she wanted to write her money down, "Wait, how much money did I gain then?"

"Everyone gained seventy-four gp, with one gp left for all of you to share amongst yourselves."

"Or..." Portia said with a smirk, "Maybe we could share that goldpiece between the two of us!"

"Others shall never find out about this," Julian handshake Portia in agreement.

"Very well then, I'll keep my lips sealed too," you said.

"I don't need anything, so let's leave already."

You broke the walls that deafened others, who immediately asked, "So, how much did everyone gain?"

"Seventy-four GPS each."

"Good enough," Nadia said, "Now let's go find that girl and get the reward."

All of them walked through the town, getting glares from people as they looked at Milug's head.

"Oh mi gosh!" the girl ran to them, shouting, "You did it! And you came back alive. I can't believe my eyes!" she stared at Milug's head, "That must be him, right?" with her finger she trailed the old scar on Milug's jawline, "That must be the scar my mom gave him... I remember when she came back after the fight with him....all bloody... and the only thing she said before she died was, _'I only scratched his jaw.'_ " she put her hands away from the hand, staying quiet.

"Yeah, that's depressing and all of that shit," Vulgora started.

"Not really," Valdemar cut them off.

"But what about the reward?" Vulgora continued talking.

"I..." she was silent for a moment, taken back by the apathy those two showed, "Follow me." she dropped her head low, leading them all to her house.

"Volta is sorry, so sorry for what happened to you," Volta's PC hugged the little girl, "Here," she offered a few her food rations to the girl, "Food always makes me feel better."

"No wonder you eat so much," Valerius commented.

"Thank you," the little girl hugged Volta's PC before she took the small pastry Volta offered.

"You know you're going to die of starvation if you continue giving everyone your food, right?"

"Why are you so generous to the useless NPCs of all characters?"

"You give food in the game like it's nothing, but you would bite my arm off if I tried to take even a bit of food."

Volta just winced at everyone's comments, unsure of how to react.

"Don't worry Volta, just keep doing what you want to do," Nadia reassured the tiny procurator.

"Oh thank you, countess! You're always so kind to Volta!"

"Here we are," the girl opened the doors of a big house, "Come on in. Please don't break, nor steal anything."

All of them walked into the house one by one, some struggling to fit through the door. The girl led them through the hallway, turning back from time to time to check if they were stealing anything. At the end of the hallway, they turned left, to the single door. Before she knocked, the girl turned to them, saying, "Please behave," then she turned back to the door, knocking, "Dad, it's me, I brought the adventurers I told you about."

After a couple of moments, a loud, sharp, 'Come in' could be heard at the other side of the door. Once she heard that, the girl opened the door, leading them all into the room.

"So you did it," the man stood out of his chair, walking towards Lucio who held the head. He took it from his hand and examined it, "It really is Milug," the man smiled as he put the head on the table, "Words cannot express how grateful I am for your actions," he shook Lucio's hand.

"But money can," Julian added.

"But money can," the man repeated Julian's words with a smile, "You've done this village a favour, so here," he walked back to his table, picking up a tray with 11 pouches, "Here, take them. Each one of them should contain 150gp, along with," he took the coupons from the bottom of the tray, "These. Each one of these coupons can give you 50gp from our dear shopkeeper."

"Thank you," Asra said, "Do you know any place where we can spend the night?"

"Do not worry, my friend, I'll let you sleep here, but just for tonight."

"That's all we need, thank you," Nadia said.

"Do you know where Saint Milu's church is?" Portia asked them, "We wanted to go there."

"That church has been abandoned for as long as I remember," he said, "But if you wanted to go here, sure. It's east from the village, a half-day of walking after the bakery."

"Thank you, we shall head there tomorrow," Valerius said, "But now we should finish the long rest, no?"

"Yeah, he's right, let's sleep now."

"Fine," you shifted the surroundings, changing it into dark bedrooms that are separate from everyone. All of them could hear you, but not each other. "You sleep and recover fully, yay. Also Volta," you turned to her, making sure others can't hear you, "When you woke up, you found the note beside your bed: 'Thank you for confronting me today,' with a necklace attached to it."

"Oh, that's so kind of her," Volta said, with small tears forming in her eyes, "It's so nice that people in this game are nicer to Volta than people in real life!"

"The necklace requires an attunement though," you told her, "Just wear it while all of you travel to the church. That should be enough time."

"Alright, Volta will do as you say," she put the necklace on, hiding it beneath the layers of her PC's clothes.

"So anyway," you shifted the surroundings yet again, putting them all together, "You've healed completely."

"Let's go to the shop and buy something!" Portia said happily.

"Sure, you went to the shop," you showed the inside of the shop, once again, "What will you buy?"

"I'll buy ring mail," Volta said.

"Oh, yes, I have one of those just for you," the shopkeeper smiled, "That will be 40gp."

"I also want a scroll with cure wounds."

"So 90gp total, young lady."

"Alright," she handed the man the coupon with additional 40gp, "I have leather armour if anyone needs it," she said.

"Can I take that?" Asra asked, "I'll give you 7gp for it."

"Sure."

"Thanks!" Asra said, turning to the shopkeeper, "I'd like to take a healing potion."

"That will be 55gp, young man."

"How much is it for 20 javelins?" Valerius asked.

"Hm," the shopkeeper mumbled something to himself, then after a couple of moments thinking, finally responded, "3gp."

"I'll take that, along with a longsword and lance."

"That will be 35gp!"

"Can you give me the remaining 15gp from this coupon?" Valerius asked him.

"No, sorry sir, you'll have to spend it here."

"Guess I'll use it some other time."

"Give me studded leather armour," Valdemar demanded with a grin.

"I, I here," he handed them what they wanted.

"Pleasure doing business with you," they said, putting the coupon on the shopkeeper's table. 

"I'll also take a potion of healing," Nadia said.

"I'll take inflict wounds spell scroll!" Vlastomil said as he handed the shopkeeper the coupon along with 5gp.

"Question, do you have Charlatan's die?"

"Yes my scarred friend," the shopkeeper told Julian, "That will be 75 gp!"

"Alright," he handed the man the coupon along with money, "Now I need to attune to this?" he asked you.

"Yup, but you should be able to do it while walking," you said with a smirk, "I'll put the rules aside for now."

"Something tells me we're going to be fucked up," Portia said with a nervous laugh.

"Yes," you responded with a grin as you looked into the papers, "You've come to Saint Milu's church!" you changed the surrounding to the front of an abandoned church, "What now?"

"We get in!" Vulgora shouted.

"Very well then," you changed the terrain to the party's familiar tiled floor in the church. The church was old, cold with some small ponds of water in it. But ahead of it all was a huge white dragon, "You'll have to defeat the dragon in order to get the dagger."

"I told you we're fucked!"

"Should we roll the initiative?" Nadia asked as she took the dice in her hand.

"Yup."

After all of them rolled and calculated their initiative, the order was, as shown:

Dragon, Nadia, Valerius, Vulgora, Portia, Asra, Julian, Volta, Lucio, Muriel, Valdemar and Vlastomil. As for the positions, they decided not to part yet, so they put the ones with the strongest AC, Valerius and Nadia in front, along with Vulgora, who just wanted to go and beat the life out of that dragon. Right behind them were Lucio, Julian, Muriel and Vlastomil. All the way behind were Asra, Volta, Valdemar and Portia.

"Well then, this dragon has 200hp."

"Two hundred?!?!?" Vlastomil asked, clearly shaking, "How in the world are we going to kill that?"

"There is eleven of you, this shouldn't be that much of a problem," you commented, "Plus everyone will advance to level three immediately after this fight."

"Seems like a good offer," Nadia said with a smile, "So, the dragon will attack?"

"Yes, using it's mighty claw to attack you, Nadia!" you rolled the dice, landing it on 4, "And it fucking fails!" you said a bit frustrated, "How did I succeed to fail... Whatever," you calmed down, "Nadia, what do you do?"

"I walk towards it and attack it with my quarterstaff!" she smiled as she rolled 14.

"Yeah, you hit it," you said, still a bit salty, "You hit it when it had 18 AC! Fucking eighteen, and I couldn't hit you..."

"So I have the same AC as the dragon," Valerius smirked.

"I hit it with my quarterstaff, dealing, five plus five damage," she smiled, "And I will attack it once again, dealing 6 damage!"

"Good job, countess, now I will walk near it and hit it with my longsword," Valerius said as he rolled 14.

"But before that, I activate rage!" Vulgora said with a grin. 

"You hit him too," you said as you watched Valerius roll a 5 with a bit of envy, "So you dealt 8 damage. Vulgora?"

"I run to that son of a bitch and hit it with my handaxe!" they said as they rolled 15. After that successful roll, they rolled d12 which landed on 10.

"So ten plus your strength and rage bonus," you calculated for a moment, "Sixteen damage."

"Ugh, I can't use my sharpshooter," Portia said with a sad expression on her face, "Unless..." she thought for a moment, "If the AC is 18 and my," she continued mumbling, "So I can use the feat if I rolled higher than 17?"

"Yeah," you said after giving it a bit more thought, "But do you think you can do it?"

"I believe you can do it," Julian said with a smirk, "I give her one of my bardic inspiration dices!"

"Alright," she said with determination gleaming in her eyes, "I can do this!" she threw the dice a bit too strongly, making it land in Muriel's empty glass of lemonade.

He took a look inside of his glass and read, "Twenty."

"OH MY GOD!!!" Portia and you shouted, "I did it!!!" she smiled as she rolled two dices, with a comment, "From now on I'm always throwing the dices in your glass!"

"Six and five," you said, "Julian, how much from bardic inspiration?"

"Six," he said with a smirk, "I have charlatan's die, remember?"

"Oh, right, so overall, you Portia dealt... Thirty-one damage."

"Alright!" she smiled triumphally.

"I'll hit the dragon with my firebolt," they rolled the dice, landing it on 9, "Guess I didn't hit it." 

"I'll use dissonant whispers on that dragon!"

"It has a saving throw of +6" you warned him.

"And I don't care!" he said as he watched you roll a natural 1.

"So... I deal double damage?" he asked you.

"..." you stared at your hands for a moment, not believing how they all seem to be killing the dragon even though they are all the first level, "Yeah. Roll 6d6."

"Soo... three, two, four, four, two, five, plus 4 because of my spellcasting ability... Twenty four damage!"

"Alright," you said, losing hope, "The creature tries to run away from you, but it has nowhere to go."

"I, I will use my spell bless on Vulgora, Valdemar and Nadia."

"Good job, small one!"

"And now, the moment you have all been waiting for!" Lucio exclaimed, dramatic as always.

"You'll finally leave?" Muriel asked.

"What? No!" he said, "I'm going to that dragon, attacking it with my rapier... Seventeen!" he exclaimed happily once he saw what he rolled.

"Yeah, you hit it, now, let's see how much damage you'll do."

He rolled the dice, dramatically as always, "I rolled a six!"

"So nine damage in total," you wrote down on the paper, "Congratulations, the dragon is bloodied."

"Can I use my cantrip shape water?" Muriel asked you as he pointed at one of the ponds in front of the dragon.

"I, uh," you looked at your list of cantrips, "Sure? But why would you do that?"

"I shape the water and put it in the dragon's nostrils," he responded simply.

"Wait, you what?!?" you looked at him in disbelief. 

You know very well that he can do that after all the water was about three feet below the dragon's head, who was already tired from the fight. But if he did that, then he would kill the dragon. It does have resistance to cold damage, but it can't breathe underwater.

"I uh..." you started, "Well yes, you did it, but you didn't deal instant damage. Instead, the dragon will take a... let me think real quick... 2d4 damage as long as you keep using the cantrip. How about that?"

"Sounds good enough," he simply responded, hiding his joy. He didn't want to admit it, but he actually enjoyed the game.

"Good job man," Portia gave him a pat, "So how much damage will you deal?"

He rolled the two dices, "Five."

"Eight," you corrected him, "You need to include your wisdom modifier."

"Well then," Valdemar said with a grin, "I'll use chill touch on the dragon... eighteen," they chuckled, "How lucky of me, right MC?"

You stared at them for a moment, debating whether you should summon another dragon just because they are being a dick. In the end, you decided that it would be better if two ancient black dragons guarded the next artefact, which will hopefully be able to attack, "Yes, how _lucky_ of you, quaestor," you responded through your teeth as you watched them roll 8 on the dice, then 2 on the Volta's d4, "Fourteen damage. Vlastomil?"

"I, I'll hit the nasty thing with my crossbow... I failed, didn't I?" he looked disappointed at the 16.

"No, you hit it," you said, a bit annoyed, "You need to add your proficiency and dexterity bonus to that."

"Oh, how delightful," he smiled, as he rolled 1 on d8, "So... three damage?"

"Yup."

"And now for the main attraction!" you said as you rolled the dice, "I rolled a _natural_ 20! Sorry Valerius, but you'll have to-"

"I use my lucky feat," Nadia stopped you.

"You what?" you asked her, dumbfounded.

"I have a right to use my lucky feat three times a day to ask you to reroll the dice," she explained to you, "So do it," she said with an evil smirk.

"You, you can't do this..." you stared at her in disbelief, "I, I swear I won't go easy on you next time..." you said as you rerolled the dice, "But I rolled 16! Which is enough to-"

"Reroll it again," Nadia repeated with amusement in her voice.

You stared at her for a moment, thinking about how putting two ancient dragons next time is a great idea.

"Fine..." you rerolled the dice, "And I didn't do shit now. Happy?"

"Yes," she smiled, "So now I will attack the dragon, as usual," she said, rolling 18, "And hitting it, dealing..." she looked at the d8 with a bit of disappointment, "Only 6 damage. But then I will hit it with my unarmed strike, and I'll use a d4...dealing 10 more damage!"

"Valerius?" you asked.

"I hit it with my longsword," he rolled the dice, "But I fail," he sighed in disappointment.

"Now I will go for that dragon!" they said as they rolled 16, then 8, "Dealing 14 damage!"

"You can also add Volta's d4, remember?"

"Oh shit you're right!" they said as they rolled 1, "Whatever. Fifteen damage total."

"I'll use longbow!" Portia said proudly as she rolled the dice.

"I'm giving her the dice," Julian smirked.

"And I'm hitting it, dealing eleven damage, plus six, right Ilyushka?"

"Mhm," he said with joy in his eyes.

"Alright, the dragon is left on 17hp!"

"Also, I'm giving Asra my dice too," Julian said.

"I'm hitting it with firebolt this time!" Asra said as he rolled sixteen, "Told you! And now I will deal... thirteen damage!"

"I'm attacking it with vicious mockery!" Julian said proudly.

"Yeah, you failed."

"I can't do anything because of bless, right?" Volta asked.

"Yup," you said with joy.

"I'm hitting the dragon with a rapier!" Lucio said proudly.

"No, you're not."

"I'm still balancing the water in his nostrils," Muriel said as he rolled the dices, "I rolled seven, so... ten damage overall?"

"You did it..." you said, a bit disappointed as you showed the illusion of the dragon collapsing on the ground then slowly melting down, "You killed the dragon. It didn't even bruise you... So, everyone gains 909 XP from this, which means all of you levelled to 3rd level. Look at the features you gain on second and third level..."

After half an hour, everyone decided on all of the features they were going to get and they expected more of the story to come. 

"So what loot do we get?"

"You get the dagger," you simply responded.

"Cool, let's try the dagger," Portia stared at the rusty old dagger, "Wait, this is the dagger?"

"Yes, why," you gave them a grin, "Is there a problem with it?"

"Obviously," Vulgora said, "Look at that! It's useless!"

"Wait, I use my religion stat to recall the lore about the dagger," Valerius said.

"Alright," you said, "DC is 15."

He rolled the dice in Nadia's direction, "Sixteen."

"So, the story goes like this. It was a rather lovely evening in the church of Saint Milu, however, Maila's dreams weren't like that. In that magical world, the Abaddon appeared, imbuing her with the holy knowledge, answering one of the most important questions- what happens when you die? The girl knew that keeping such knowledge would mean a catastrophe, so she used her to create this holy weapon, hiding the knowledge inside of it. To make sure that the weapon remained hidden, she put it in the Milu's statue. She thought that abandoning the knowledge was for the best, however, that only led to more miseries. From that point on, nuns kept gossiping between each other how they could hear Milu's statue talking to them, from small things such as reciting the prayers, to starting a conversation. Nuns were convinced that it was Milu talking to them, so, over time, they would talk to the statue, asking it for the advice. And thus, the innocent nuns learned the truths that weren't meant to be known. Over time, they started to spread the dagger's knowledge to common townsfolk. Such knowledge brought misery to the townspeople, making them more focused on stopping death, rather than enjoying life. A certain white dragon watched all of that and decided that it was upon him to end people's miseries. It went into the town, completely destroying it, killing everyone. Then it went into the church and ate all of the nuns, accidentally eating the statue with them. Upon consuming the statue, it also gained the holy knowledge and decided that it was not meant for small, weak humans, so it made a deal with the gods: The dragon will keep the dagger safe from human hands, and it shall live for as long as the dagger is in its possession. It was a great deal which benefited both parties, the dragon didn't have to watch more innocent people dying, while gods were sure that such knowledge won't be used against them. So every time some of the humans would take the dagger, the dragon would die, however, whenever gods returned the dagger, the dragon would come back to life."

"So, what you're saying is," Portia concluded, "That we killed a dragon who just wanted to protect all of us, and the only way to bring it back is to give the dagger back?"

"Yeah."

"Hm," Nadia thought for a moment, "So basically, the only thing that can kill the gods is not the dagger, but rather Abaddon's knowledge inside of it?"

"Mhm."

"So then, can we listen to the dagger's knowledge, then give it back to the dragon?"

"Yeah, but you need to roll 23 on insight."

"Who has the highest wisdom?" Julian asked.

"I believe that would be me," Valdemar grinned, "My wisdom modifier is +4."

"Yeah, it's Valdemar."

"I cast bless so that Valdemar can add a d4," Volta said.

"Okay, I'll allow it."

"I use my bardic inspiration on Valdemar!"

"Very well then," they grinned as they took the rusty dagger, shifting it closer to their ear, listening to it as they rolled the dice.

"Thirteen plus 3 from Volta and plus 6 from Julian... So close!" you said with a grin.

"What about my bonus on insight?" Valdemar asked.

"Oh, right..." you said, "Well then, congratulations, you got the first artefact!"

"Finally!" everyone sighed in relief.

"So, I'll return the dagger if that's alright," Julian said.

"Wait, don't do it!" Asra warned him, but too late. Julian had already put the dagger in the middle of the pool of the dragon's leftovers. As soon as the rusty metal made contact with the strange liquid, it started to shape itself back into its original form.

"Quick, Vulgora," Vlastomil said, "Go talk to the dragon!"

"Fine... Hey buddy," Vulgora's PC stared at the dragon who was ready to kill them, "Look, we're sorry for killing you."

"Doubt it," the dragon responded with spite.

"Well, in the beginning, we weren't, but once we've learned you did it all for the good of us, we felt sorry, so we decided to return the dagger."

"But then why did you come here, if not for the dagger?" the dragon leaned to Vulgora.

"Well, we came for a weapon to kill a god! But it turns out that all we needed was the knowledge inside the dagger-"

"That was the only thing you shouldn't have taken."

"But everything is fine, see?" Vulgora pointed at Valdemar's PC, who seemed to have a different kind of shine in his eyes, "They learned the knowledge and haven't gone insane!"

"I..." the dragon looked at everyone, "So you want to kill gods?" it chuckled, "Why?"

"So that everyone would be forced to become atheists," Vulgora exclaimed proudly.

The dragon gave a deep, loud laugh: "I haven't laughed like this in centuries! You aren't the brightest pests, but you sure are hard to kill. And that seems to be more important nowadays... Fine, I can't deal with the Gods' bullshit anymore-"

"Neither can we!"

"So, I will let you use this place as your home. Just don't disturb me."

"And that's it for today!" you exclaimed as you let the fog die out, "Next time, let's have a group of 6 come over so that it could be manageable."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will post more chapters like this, but I won't write with all of them playing together. It's just difficult to manage it. So, in the next session, there will be six players. I was thinking about definitely including Muriel, Vlastomil and Lucio since they didn't get as much screen time in this chapter. If you want to see someone else roleplay in their next session, comment their name!


	5. Courtiers' reaction when MC wakes up after a nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just felt like writing some cute scenario with MC that doesn't know that the courtiers made a deal with the Devil.

**Volta:**

The tiny Volta was just about to munch on her 4th-midnight snack before she went to bed. As she nibbled on the huge sandwich, which looked even more enormous in comparison to her, she heard a soft, quiet cry. She was surprised by such noise, since the last time she heard someone cry was her herself, which hasn't happened in at least a century. Her tiny footsteps echoed in the dusty hallways as she followed that miserable sound.

Once the procurator was sure she was close to that sad person, she realised she was in front of the doors of your bedroom. She knocked on the door twice, waiting for an answer. 

The cry stopped and she heard nothing.

"MC... I'll get in alright?" she said and waited for a moment, then slowly turned the knob, as if she was afraid of scaring you, and went inside the room.

You were cuddled up on the bed, hugging a pillow.

"I, I'm fine," you brushed off your tears, "Sorry for making you worry."

"It's okay," she said as she sat right next to you, "Here," she handed you her sandwich, "Food always makes me feel better," she gave you a genuine smile.

"I... thanks," you smiled back and took a bite of her sandwich, "Oh, you put bacon here," you chuckled softly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked you, leaning on your shoulder.

"I mean, now that I think about it," you put your hand on her shoulder, "It's quite stupid, you know? Like those dreams you have that don't make any sense, but like, when you dreamt it, it all felt so real and _logical_."

"Oh I totally understand it," she nodded in agreement, "One time I had a dream that Vulgora and Valdemar switched places, with Valdemar being the loud one, always telling people how they'll crush them, while Vulgora was quiet and just stared oddly at people. They switched clothes, too!"

You laughed, imagining the silly scenario, "Yeah, Vulgora will never be quiet," you giggled, but then your expression got more serious, "I dreamt that I was laying on the dinner table and then there were Lucio's dogs... eating my organs," you shook at the thought, "But then, they ran off, and for some reason, a huge mole-like creature appeared."

"And, and?" she asked, curious.

"And then it continued where the dogs left off," you started shaking, "I was screaming, begging it to stop, but it didn't listen... it just feasted on my flesh..."

"I..." Volta buried her head in your chest, "I'm sorry..." she hugged you, "But don't worry, such a thing won't happen! I promise!"

"Thank you, Volta," you hugged her back, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead, "We should go to sleep now," you pulled them closer, giving her a tight hug, "Could you please sleep here with me?"

"Of course," she pats your back, then gestures at the sandwich you left aside, "Are you going to finish that?"

**Vlastomil:**

"MC, MC..." someone called out to you, "MC, wake up!"

You opened your eyes, gripping on the soft sheets tightly, "Vlastomil," you hugged the man next to you, "I...I was so scared..."

"It's alright, everything is fine now," they pat your head gently, "When I saw you shaking I was so scared! I know that's not supposed to happen when you sleep."

"I was shaking?" you took a glance at the window, looking outside. The sky was cloudless, painted in navy blue with a spray of gorgeous white stars. Everything looked peaceful outside, which calmed you down a bit.

"Oh yes, so very much! It nearly... no, it _woke_ me up. Yes!" he smiled almost a bit too much for such a statement.

"I'm sorry," you rubbed on their bony hand, "I'm so sorry," you started sobbing.

"What's wrong now?" he asked, a bit annoyed.

You didn't respond, instead, you just hugged him, "I had a terrible dream," you started explaining as you buried your head deep into his chest, "I dreamt that everyone around me got the plague," you rubbed your eyes, trying not to tear up, "Asra, Nadia, Volta, _you_ ," you started crying, "You were all dying and I, and I... I couldn't help you. I just watched you all die..." you continued crying, letting Vlastomil's shirt get wet with your tears.

"Oh please stop crying," he hugged you back, "I'm going to start crying too..." he gently pat your head, "I'll make us some tea, how does that sound?"

"You don't have to do that."

"Nonsense," he shook it off, wrapping you in warm blankets, "I'll be right back."

You tried to get out of the blankets but to no avail, Vlastomil has wrapped you up tightly, making you look like his worms. After some more tries, you realised that escaping is not an option. So you just laid there, waiting for him to return.

'He didn't even bring a candle with himself,' you thought.

"I'm back," he put the tea on the bedside table, "Guess who wanted to join us?" he put Wiggler right next to you, "Oh, I guess I've wrapped the blankets too tightly, no?" he unwrapped you gently, trying his best not to scratch you with his nails, "Wiggler always makes me feel better, I'm sure she'll help you too!"

"Thanks," you sat on the bed, taking the worm in your lap, "Could you please light the candles, I can't see anything."

"There are no more matches," he said with annoyance as he threw the empty box, "I'll have to order those pesky servants to buy some more."

You smiled at the comment, knowing how he is still salty because of today's events. "Still angry about the forgotten worm food?"

"Of course, I tell that new girl to bring me _three_ things. Only three things. And what does she do?" he started rambling, "She brings only two."

You giggled at his complaints, sipping your tea happily.

"I could have lived without those two, but she just _had_ to forget the most important thing!"

You nodded in silence, enjoying praetor's company. The night was calm, Wiggler wiggly and Vlastomil was ranting like usual, and all of that assured you that everything will be fine.

**Vulgora:**

"What's with the long face?" They asked you as they watched you shake from your usual nap.

"It's just that I've had a strange dream, you know?"

"So?" they asked you, waiting for your response. After a moment of your silence, they continued, "Don't tell me you're disturbed by a dream of all things. How old are you, five?"

"I..." you looked down, rubbing your temple, "Yeah, you're right." you stood up from the bed, stretching, "It's just weird, you know?"

"I don't know and I don't care," they responded as they put on their headdress, "It's just a dream, get over it."

"True," you chuckled as you made the bed, "I can't believe I got scared from beetles of all things."

"Beetles?" they turned to you, "You dreamt beetles?"

"Yeah, I dreamt that there was a whole swarm of beetles," you dropped the pillow back to the bed, and started explaining, "Like, It was huge!" you outstretched your hands, "And they were all flying to me, you know, like, all I could see was a sea of red!"

"Yes and?" they asked you with a bit of hype, "What then?"

"They landed on me and started biting me. Not eating me, they just bit me over and over again, " you sighed, looking to the side, "So yeah... that's what happened."

They looked at you surprised, "But beetles aren't that bad!" they protested.

"I don't know, Vulgora, their legs and antennas are scary," you shivered at the thought, "And the fact they seem to devour just anything..."

"Nonsense!" they grabbed your hand a not so gently, leading you outside, "Beetles are _fucking_ adorable!"

"I don't know-"

" **Shush** ," they cut you off, tugging you until you haven't picked up the speed, "Stop complaining already! The only ones who are scared of beetles are tiny roaches, and there is no fucking way you're going to be in that group!"

"We're not actually looking for beetles, are we?"

"Stop complaining and start walking faster! You know what," they picked you up, put you over their shoulder like a bag of potato, and started sprinting out of their mansion, "This is much better! Beetles should be here somewhere..." they looked at the grass, "No, not here..." they walked towards some bushes, "Not here either... I swear whenever I don't need beetles they are all over the fucking place, but now they are nowhere! Can you believe it?!?"

"No, I can't... Oh no, this is a disaster~" you responded as you tried to move away from their tight grasp, "Maybe we should just go home and call it a day."

"No way!" they stiffened their grip on you, "We're not leaving until we find a beetle! There!" they dropped you down, crouching near the small beetle, "Told you!" they crouched to the small beetle who was just vibing in the sun, then grabbed it, "Isn't it adorable? It's nibbling on a... bird's wing, awww," they grinned, "And it doesn't seem to be more than a week old, it's a born warrior, isn't it MC?" they turned to you, " MC, why the fuck are you running?!? Come back! Hey!"

You didn't listen to them, instead, you've started sprinting, "Sorry, but I'm not going anywhere near that thing!"

"Oh, you will!" they got to you faster than you expected them to, "We're adopting this beetle, you hear me!" they run up to you, grabbing you by the collar of your shirt, "Stop running, it's not that scary! Look," they put the beetle who was still nibbling on the wing, "See? Nothing scary. Now stop making a fuss!"

You didn't even flinch, fear has taken control over your body, "Vulgora, please, _please_ , take it off my hand."

"I'm not your fucking servant! Take Chadslav off yourself!"

"Chadslav?" you asked them as your whole body trembled.

"Yeah, our adopted child!" they laughed, their voice echoing the garden, "Aren't they the cutest?" they pet the beetle with their pointer finger, "See? It doesn't bite me. Come on," they lifted your left hand, "Pet it!"

You slowly moved your hand to the beetle but stopped for a moment to see which part of it is the least dangerous to touch.

"Hurry up damn it!" they grabbed your hand, forcefully shoving it on the beetle. Surprisingly, the beetle didn't seem to do much. In fact, it didn't even seem to care; it just continued to munch down on what's left of the bird's wing.

"See???" they took the beetle off your hand and gently put it on their shoulder, to which the beetle seemed to happily oblige, "Now we should do some renovating on this place for this young champion!"

"You're not really thinking about adopting a beetle and raising as a child?"

"Why the fuck not?" they asked you as they patted the beetle, "I don't see any problem. Human brats are a bother anyway."

**Valerius:**

"What's wrong dear?" Valerius walked into the room with a glass of wine, "Was the last night's dinner not to your liking? Or perhaps three glasses of wine were too much for you?" he joked.

"No, it's not that. It's just that, "you gave him a serious look, "Please don't laugh at me for it, but I had a nightmare." 

"Oh," he mused, "So, the great magician is scared?"

"Val, I'm serious," you cut him off, "I know it sounds absurd, but, I think I contacted a demon."

"What?" he chuckled.

"Or maybe he's not a demon," you started shaking, " but he's not anything good either!"

"Are you sure you didn't have too much alcohol?" he sat beside you, putting the glass of wine on the bedside table, "I was like that before, you know? Though, over time, I've built my-"

"Val, _please,_ " your eyes became watery, "Listen to me! Stop joking!"

"..." he was silent for a little while, debating whether he should keep on joking with you or not. Once he saw that you were on the brink of crying, he scooped you up in his hands and laid in bed with you, "Sorry for that," he said as he played with your hair, "What did you dream?"

You didn't respond right away, instead, you took the time to enjoy his tight embrace, "Honestly, the dream itself wasn't as scary, it's just that there was something _off_ ," you started explaining, "I dreamt that I was in the field of flowers, can't remember which flowers though," you added, "And there, in the middle of the field, there was a man. He looked plain, like any other guy, but his, his voice," you shivered, to which Valerius hugged you tighter, "It was not human!" you hugged Valerius, "He said that he would like to make me an offering and-"

"And?" he asked, with a somewhat insecure voice, "What did you say? What did he offer?"

"I don't know what he offered," you admitted as you grabbed his braid, trailing its pattern with your finger, "I started running away, chanting the words from one of my exorcism books."

He let out a barely audible sigh as he put his head on yours, "That's..." he started, but seemed to not know how to continue the thought. After a moment of thinking, he continued, "...Quite a dream you had," he chuckled and continued, a bit nostalgic, "It seems you might have the worst luck. Did you do any weird rituals?"

"Valerius for the last time," you told him, annoyed, "Magic is not all about rituals! And no, I did no such thing."

"Still, " he frowned, "Don't do anything stupid and _don't_ listen to that man. Promise me."

"I promise," you said before you kissed the cheek, "What's with all of this seriousness? Two minutes ago you were mocking me," you laughed.

"I-" you put a finger on their lips.

"Sh," you moved your finger, quickly stealing a kiss from him, "Let's just enjoy the moment, alright?"

"Sure."

**Valdemar:**

You woke up in the middle of the night, alone in bed with cold sweat running down your cheek.

Where are they?

You quickly stood up and called out: "Valdemar!"

Nothing.

"Valdemar, are you here?" you stood out of the bed, walking towards their laboratory.

You walk through the hallways, being very careful not to trip. And soon enough, you're in front of their laboratory.

 _'The light's on. They must be in there,'_ you thought as you knocked on the door.

No answer.

You knocked again, a bit harsher, and waited. Nothing.

"Valdemar, it's me-" you shivered as you felt a cold hand grab your shoulder.

"Oh my, and why are you awake this late, hm?" Valdemar asked you as they leaned forward, petting your hair with their other hand.

"I, I had a nightmare," you turned to them, giving them a tight hug, "And, and I didn't see you in bed-"

"Oh, why that is because a new idea came to my mind not to while ago," they admitted, "After all, who has the time to sleep when there are so many mysteries waiting to unfold, no?"

"Well, yes, but," you started sobbing, "I was frightened."

"MC," they raised your head, making you look at them, "Dreams are just a string of random thoughts that occur during sleep. While it might have some realistic aspects, it's not real. Not even a bit," they led you back to the bedroom, "So I can assure you that, whatever you have dreamt, is just a product of your brain's imagination. It's not real."

"I, I know, but it felt so real..."

"And what is it that felt so real?" they looked at you, moving a strand of hair behind your ear.

"I had a dream that you died."

For a moment, they were quiet, trying to think of a response. Their eyes seem to go over the room, looking at anything but you. At the end though, all they did was a chuckle, "Oh, silly MC," the brushed their cold hands over your cheek, "There is no way I could die," they grinned, "You know that, don't you?"

"Well yes," you started explaining as you hugged the quaestor, "But when I woke up and saw that you weren't next to me, I got so worried..."

"I can assure you, your worries are trivial. Now, you need sleep, do you not?"

"You need it too."

"Oh, do not worry your silly head with me anymore," they mocked you, "Sleep now, won't you? I'll join you as soon as I finish writing something down," they put you to bed and left, their footsteps being the last thing you heard before going to dreamless slumber.

On the other side of Valdemar's mansion, the quaestor wasn't as peaceful as you were. Your words have left an impact on them, making them think about it more than they should.

 _' What an intriguing situation,'_ they thought to themselves, amused, _' They were so disturbed by the thought... Humans have never failed to amaze me'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote Vulgora's scenario when I was too tired. When I reread the chapter next morning I decided to keep the chapter as it is.


	6. Portia x Muriel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my proudest one.

"Pepi, are you there?" Portia called out to her beloved kitten, "Don't go too far away, okay?"

Pepi sat down on the grass, purring.

"It might be dangerous, you know?" She crouched and started collecting some plants, "So we're going back as soon as we collect herbs for Mazelinka, got it?"

The cat meowed, walking away deeper into the forest.

"Just don't go far away, okay?" She continued to pluck plants.

"Let's see... I got Chamomile but I also need, what was it called once again..." she rubbed her temple with the clean hand, trying to remember the plant's name, " Rhodiola, yeah, that's it. If I remember correctly, Mazelinka told me it grows a bit deeper in the forest," she stood up, putting the herbs into the basket, " Pepi!" She called, " Come on girl, we're going on an adventure!" Just as she was about to call her cat once more, the little siamese came out of the bush with a little branch in its mouth.

"Aw, did you find this for me?" She pats the cat's head, "Thank you, you're an amazing dear. Let's go now," she pointed forward, "Into the forest! And possible danger, but who cares?" She started talking to the cat, "It's more interesting that way, you know? Maybe we'll find a ghost or something like that. That would be so cool!" She said, her eyes gleaming, "Girl, think about it," she lowered her head to the cat, who just stared at her, "That would be- oh look!" She walked a bit on the left from the path, "I think this is the plant!" Pepi sat down, grooming herself as Portia cut the plant by the handle, "Babouche said that mushrooms are growing in the forest, wanna go and find them with me, Pepi?" 

"Mroow."

"Let's go! Don't ask where 'cause I don't know," she giggled by the end of the sentence, " On the bright side if we get lost we can always orient by the stars during the night." She chuckled nervously, "You'd protect me, wouldn't you?" 

Pepi meowed in approval, jumping on Portia as she tried to climb to her shoulder, burying her claws gently in her clothes.

"What's wrong dear?" She pats Pepi's head, looking in the direction her beloved cat is hissing, and she realised something was wrong. A giant black wolf was walking to them, with a gleam of curiosity in its bright yellow eyes.

Portia stood there, not daring to even flinch. She knew that sudden reactions won't help, so she slowly started to back off as she held her cat still.

The wolf noticed her getting away, so it started to walk closer, fixing its gaze on Portia. It walked slowly as if it were a bit scared of Portia herself.

"Easy there," Portia said as she raised her unoccupied hand, trying not to disturb the animal, "I don't want to fight, okay?" she gave the wolf a worried smile.

The wolf sat down, shifting its head.

"I'll be going now, alright?" Portia took the opportunity and picked up the speed.

The wolf seemed to notice, so it stood up and walked to Portia, whimpering.

"I..." Portia looked at Pepi for advice, who just meowed and hopped off her shoulder, starting to play with the wolf.

"Weren't you the one who was scared of her?" Portia giggled, "Mazelinka won't believe me when I tell her who I've met in this forest," she pats the wolf, " Oh, aren't you a good girl? Sorry for being scared of you," she crouched to the wolf, combing its fur with her fingers, "Your fur is so soft..." she smiled as she stood up, "Sorry but we have to go. Come on Pepi," she snapped her fingers twice, " Say goodbye to the wolf and let's get going." She waited for Pepi to nuzzle her head on the wolf, saying her farewell to the tame wolf.

"Now, off we go!" she smiled as she continued the conversation with Pepi, as if nothing happened, "You know, I hope the mushrooms I took aren't poisonous," she giggled, "I can't remember if Babouche said that the mushrooms had a dark brown colour," she stopped talking for a moment, trying to recall the conversation she had with Babouche. After a couple of moments, she brushed the thought off and continued talking, "Guess we'll find out at Mazelinka's."

She would continue with her chatter if she didn't hear someone walking behind her. She quickly turned, adrenaline running through her veins, only to find that it was a false alarm. 

"Oh, it's you," she smiled at the wolf, "Whatcha doing here buddy?" she continued walking, with the wolf and Pepi following right behind her, "Sorry, but I don't have any treats on me, so you should look for food somewhere else. Come on," she pointed at the forest, "Pepi and I will visit, right girl?"

"Meoww."

"See? Now go, to your family and... _friends_?"

The wolf walked right in front of Portia, tilting its head to the side, giving Portia the saddest look. Soon enough, the wolf was not the only one who looed at Portia imploringly; Pepi joined, sitting to the wolf's left, pleading not only with sad eyes but also with her constant meowing.

"Ugh, fine, we'll stay," the animals looked at her with utter joy, the wolf howling happily as Pepi walked around her legs, meowing happily.

"We won't stay for long though," she started explaining to the animals like she would explain it to her brother, "Because if we do, Mazelinka will get us with her spoon," she shivered at the thought as she followed the wolf who lead them back into the forest, "There is no mightier weapon than that wooden spoon," she laughed as she tried to imitate Mazelinka's voice, "Made from the full palm wood and older than the two of you rascals," she giggled.

"Meow," Pepi got in front of Portia, looking for Mazelinka, "Mrrow?"

"She is not here, cutie. It was just me."

Then, out of nowhere, the wolf started barking happily as she ran past Portia, nearly knocking her over.

"Ow, slow down," she flinched as she looked at who the wolf ran to. A giant man, who must have been at least half a meter taller than she bent down to the wolf, giving it a pet.   
With a low, scratchy voice, he said, "Inanna, I have been looking everywhere for-" he raised his head, looking straight at the girl.

"Um, hello there," she gave the man a gentle smile, "Her name is Inanna?"

"..." the man stared at her for a moment, then let out a sigh, "If you went right behind you, you'll get out of the forest."

"Don't worry, I'm not lost."

"Then leave. The forest is dangerous, you'll end up hurt."

"Oh please," she brushed off his comment, "This forest fears _me_!" she puffed her chest, forgetting how she got terrified of the wolf just an hour ago.

"..." he just stared at the short girl with a smile, "Says the girl who collected poisonous mushrooms."

"So they _are_ poisonous," she giggled, "But I was told the mushrooms were brown..."

"You're probably looking for Maitake mushrooms."

"Yes," she snapped her fingers, her eyes glowing, "That's what they are called! Could you please lead me to where they grow?"

"...Fine," he sighed, "But then leave."

"Alright, alright, I promise," she said as she dropped the poisonous mushrooms on the ground, following the man, "So, you know the forest well?"

"Yes."

"That's... great, and useful," she smiled to him, a bit nervous at how stiff the man is around her, "Honestly," she started talking to the man, trying to break the silence, "When Pepi and I first saw Inanna, we were terrified, haha." 

"She means no harm."

"Oh, we realised that," she smiled, "I didn't catch your name, sir."

"..." he was silent for a moment, but decided to respond to the chatty girl, "Muriel."

"Well, thank you, Muriel, for helping us! It means a lot. I'm Portia!"

He was silent for a moment, not knowing how to respond to her kindness, so he just changed the topic, "We're here," he gestured at the mushrooms.

"Already?" she started to collect the mushrooms, "I guess that the time does fly with a great company," she smiled.

"I...guess," his cheeks flushed, "You're... not that bad," he returned the smile.

"Aw, thank you, you're so kind," she giggled as she struggled to take a particular mushroom, "You're not going to take any?"

He just shook his head in response.

"Why not, there is enough mushrooms for at least seven people, plus if you cut them like this," she showed him as she cut the mushroom with a knife, "It will grow back by the next morning. As long as you don't take the root, too, of course."

"I just... don't have the will to collect mushrooms now..."

"Oh, if that's the case, then I'll cut them for you! Here," she gave him half of the mushrooms she collected, "This should be enough for the both of us!"

"...Thanks."

"I should be thanking _you_ , Muri, for showing me a way to this place," she walked alongside him, giving him a friendly pat to the back, "You're so kind!"

"Don't, don't call me that."

"Why not? The nickname is cute, just like you~" she giggled, "You know there's no need to be dense around me, alright?" she told him, as she admired the silence of the forest.

It seemed that the more she was in there, the more familiar the forest seemed to be. All of these mysteries regarding this rumoured forest intrigued her, and her interest peaked when she met Muriel. This soft giant is something else. He is so distant and a bit cold for Portia's taste, however, she felt like she could spend a day beside him, not doing anything. 

"So, where do you live?"

"That's none of your business."

"Come on, don't be like that, I would like to hang out with you sometime," she admitted.

"...You're weird," he responded after a short silence.

She didn't take his words to heart, instead, she raised her unoccupied hand to her heart, pretending to be hurt, "Are you saying I'm a bad company?"

"No," he shook his head, "I'm just saying you shouldn't trust strangers. For all you know, I could be a _murderer_."

"Oh _please,_ as if you would do anything bad to me."

"But what if-"

"Sh," she placed her index finger over her lips, "Stop making excuses! If you don't want to- oh my gosh!" she stopped midsentence, walking to a bush next to her, "Is that... a chicken?!?"

She crouched right next to the chicken, extending her hand.

"What are you doing?" Muriel asked her.

"I'm showing her my hand so that she could sniff it!" her eyes gleamed, "I don't want it to be scared of me."

"It's not a dog, there is no need for that," he crouched beside her, "Also Yolky is not shy, just don't make any sudden movements and it should be fine."

"Yolky?" she asked, carefully taking the chicken in her hands, "Is this your chicken? Did it get lost?"

"It's not my chicken, it's more like a... neighbour."

" _Neighbour?_ " she looked at him, "So you live in a forest?"

He nodded hesitantly while giving the chicken a little pet.

"That's so amazing! Did you make a house in here?"

"Yes," he nodded, blushing.

"On your own?" she asked, hugging the small chicken, not letting it get out of her tight grasp.

"Well yes, but it's not that impressive."

"Don't be like that! You should have more confidence! Making a house on your own, in the middle of the forest is amazing!"

"Mrrow," Pepi walked in between Portia and Muriel, nuzzling her head on the chicken.

"Oh, fudge! I'll be late! Mazelinka will kill me!" she put the chicken down and stood up, "Say, do you want to come with me to the Mazelinka? She's my honorary grandma!"

"I don't think I should..."

"Nonsense, she'll love you, trust me!" she grabbed his hand, tugging him with her, "Plus her soup is truly something else! You _have to_ try it."

"I have some things I need to take care of," he said, thinking about all of the protection trinkets he needs to make.

"Oh, if that's so, then I guess I'll see you later," she said sadly as she walked back to town, "Bye, hope to see you soon!"

Muriel didn't go immediately, instead, he waited for her to get out of sight, into the streets of Vesuvia. He turned back and, along with Inanna, went into his hut. This day was quite out of the ordinary, but he didn't care. He knew she won't be able to remember him, which made him feel a bit gloomy. Even though she was a bit too talkative for him, she seemed like a good person. He shook the thoughts away, knowing it won't do him any good. This is the path he has chosen to go down to, there is no time for regrets now.

_This is for the best,_ he thought as he picked up some herbs from the table, _For both me and her._

As he walked out of his hut, back into the forest, he continued with his thoughts: _What good would it be even if she stayed around? She would run away as soon as she would find out the truth... As she should._

He decided that thinking too much about her was doing nothing to his benefit, so he focused all of his attention on making the protection trinkets. Time passed by, but Muriel didn't notice, nor did he care. He just enjoyed the silence, the sound of the wind, the smell of the grass after the rain. Yes, this is where he belongs.

"You know magic?!?" Portia asked him.

"What the," he flinched when he saw the girl crouching right next to him. 

"How long have you been here?"

"About..." she put her index finger on her lips, "Let's see... fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes?!? What have you been doing for fifteen minutes? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to disturb you," she explained, "You looked so into what you were doing, so I just waited for you to finish it. What is that anyway?" she pointed at the protection trinket, "Are you putting a curse on someone?" her eyes gleamed at the thought.

"What? No, it's just a protection trinket," he dug some dirt, taking an old trinket out, "After some time, the magic in the trinket weakens, mostly because of _someone_ trying to break in," he frowned, thinking of a certain goat man.

"Wow, that's so great!" she carefully observed him burying the new trinket, "Can you teach me?"

"I don't see how you could be interested in this," he shrugged, having a question on his mind. How is she able to remember him?

"Oh, please~" she begged him, "Wait, is that something like a family secret that I'm not supposed to know?"

"It's nothing special... But if you want to learn that badly-"

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" she put a flask down and gave him a tight hug. She pulled away, handing him the flask, "I felt bad for not giving you any of Mazelinka's soup, so I brought some for you."

He took the flask, and felt the familiar smell of myrrh, "Thank you. Here," he handed her some myrrh from his pocket, "I assume you've already noticed, but people... forget me."

"Oh, I thought I just had a headache or something like that," she flushed from embarrassment, "Why does that happen? Are you cursed?"

"I... guess you could call it that."

"You poor, thing," she covered her lips with her hands, "Is that why you put these protection trinkets?"

"Let's just put the matter aside," he sighed, not knowing how to explain his situation to her, "If you have myrrh around you should be able to remember me."

"Oh, that's one of the ingredients in the soup!"

"I noticed," he said, "The one who made it is great at green magic," he smiled.

"Green magic?" she asked him, "Mazelinka knows magic? What's green magic?"

"Green magic is like... friendly magic," he didn't know what he was talking about, but he didn't stop, "It's not flashy, but it's more of a... family type of magic, the one to..."

"Calm you down?"

"Something like that," he smiled as he continued to explain everything he knew about green magic.


	7. Valdemar reacting to cute MC doing not so cute things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a request from @greenhillpage on Tumblr!

"For the last time, doctor 069," Valdemar started lecturing Julian, "no pets are allowed. I do not care how obedient they are. If I see that crow once again," they gestured at Malak, "It's going to go on the vivisection table. _Understood?_ "

"Yes, sir!" Julian said, taking Malak into his hands, wanting to get out of Valdemar's sight as soon as possible. Before he left, however, he noticed MC walking up to him with a basket.

"Hey MC," he patted them on the head, "What brings you here?"

"Oh, I was just looking for you!" they said with a smile, "Remember Snowball?"

"That bunny from the forest?" he asked, "You always bring it some carrots, right?"

"Yes," MC gleamed with delight, "The one with the fluffiest fur of them all! It just makes me want to squish it and love it forever and ever!" they smiled, with a hint of sorrow.

"You do realise that's because your brain doesn't know how to comprehend what you feel when you find something adorable, so you subconsciously try to kill it to get rid of the emotion?" Valdemar asked you, tilting their head to one side grinning, showing all of their teeth.

"Oh, I knew that!" MC exclaimed happily, clapping your hands, "You told me that before, sir."

"So what brings you here," they examined MC from head to toe, noticing the basket, "Food is not allowed, just like pets."

"Oh, I didn't bring food here," MC said as they moved the basket from one hand to the other, "I remember what happened last time when I brought cookies," they chuckled awkwardly.

"I still believe it was unnecessary to throw them to the beetles," Julian said, sulking, "They looked delicious."

"Did anyone ask you for an opinion, doctor 069?" Valdemar shrugged, "So, what is in there?"

"Well, actually," they pulled a white rabbit out of the basket, holding it by its ears, "I went this morning to feed the rabbit, but it was dead, laying on the grass where I would usually find it," they sighed, "So I did an examination, just how you showed, sir," they told the quaestor, "I checked for any bleedings, broken bones, but I didn't find anything, look!" they pointed at the bunny, "No signs of bleeding. So I was wondering if you could help me find out how it died. Please Julian," they looked at the ginger doctor, "Help me."

"MC," they stared at them, speechless, "Why are you carrying a dead animal?, "their pale face lost even more colour, "That's not something a person like you would do."

"I have to agree with my colleague," Valdemar joined the conversation, "I didn't expect something like this from you. What a _pleasant_ surprise."

"Come on," Julian led you to the elevator, "Let's go bury it. I'll help you."

"No," MC puffed their cheeks, walking away from Julian, back into the laboratory, "I want to learn why it died, _then_ I'll bury it!"

"Well, uh," he seemed to turn paler and paler, "I would love to help you, truly, I would," they chuckled nervously, "But, well, you see... I don't have much experience with... _dissecting animals_ ," they gulped, "Why don't you ask someone else while I... take Malak out. Yes!" he walked to the elevator, "I'll see you later, alright?" he didn't wait for a response as he went in the elevator, "Bye."

"Well, this sucks," MC pouted, watching Julian go, then turning to the quaestor, "Could you please help me out, sir? I don't think he will return anytime soon."

"Oh, how could I _possibly_ abandon a person in need," they grinned, clearly amused by this situation, "Of course, give me the animal and take the spare doctor's uniform. Go, quick!"

Valdemar carefully took the rabbit, bringing it to the dissection table, preparing for the examination, their eyes filled with utter joy. It's been at least thirty years since the last time they cut open a rabbit. This should be fun!

Just as they finished with the preparations, MC walked up to them, "Is this alright?" they asked, pointing at the uniform they put on.

"Yes, now, let's get started, shall we?" they said enthusiastically, "I suppose the rabbit died because it ate something bad, so we should check for that first," they cut open the stomach with a scalpel.

"There is so much blood."

"What did you expect?" Valdemar humoured MC and continued with their work, "Let's see..." they took their sweet time, checking all of the organs for digestion.

"Hm," they frowned, "This is a... _unique_ case. All of the organs I've checked so far seem to be fine, in fact, the rabbit seems to be rather healthy."

"I see... what about its heart?" Mc asked, their eyes locked on the dead animal, "Aren't their hearts sensitive?"

"Why you are correct," they nodded, "We should check it now, no?" they continued with the process, "Now, this is something you should _always_ keep in mind," they started explaining, "The blood pressure is much higher in arteries than in veins, therefore, if you were to cut open an artery," they demonstrated, cutting the artery on the rabbit's heart open. The blood splashed all over the place, but not enough to dirty either one of them.

"That pressure will be released, hence the blood patterns," they pointed at the table, "Therefore if you were to, let's say, kill someone, and cut open the artery in the process, you would get yourself dirty."

"So that's why they splatter the blood everywhere in plays?" MC asked them as they wiped the blood off the table.

"Correct," Valdemar nodded, "The blood is fresh, therefore this rabbit died not long before you picked it up. Anyways," they changed the topic, "Veins, on the other hand, have much lower blood pressure," they said, cutting open a vein, making blood slowly flow down, "See?"

MC nodded. "So if the rabbit had died two days before I found it, there wouldn't be much blood flowing like right now?"

"That is also correct. I have to admit it, you understand all of this much better than doctor 069. How about _you_ try to cut the heart open?" Valdemar handed them the scalpel, "Just go along this line," they gently held MC's hand, guiding them during the whole process.

After some time, Valdemar concluded: "The rabbit died from a heart attack."

"A heart attack?" MC frowned, looking down, "But how?"

"I assume it got scared of something, most likely of loud noise."

"Poor thing," Mc looked at the rabbit, deciding to pick it up, "I'll go bury it somewhere."

"I'm not helping you with that."

"Can we please dissect more animals? I really want to know more about them, sir!" they gave Valdemar a smile, "If you can't find the animals, I could bring you some, so please~."

"Why only stop there?" Valdemar said with joy in his voice, "You can always dissect people!"

"On dead people, right?" MC asked them, a bit concerned.

"Why are you so scared all of a sudden," Valdemar grinned, "This is all in the name of science, no?"

"Well, I guess you know it better than me..."

"Why the long face? All of these experiments will help with furthering the knowledge about human bodies, just how we were able to conclude how that little pet of yours died. It's all for the greater good, trust me," they said with a grin, returning to the dissection table to clean it from the rabbit blood, as MC went outside, burying the rabbit.


	8. Portia's first impression of Lucio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Request made by my friend :)

"Have you heard? The count is back!" one servant exclaimed as she watered the flowers that decorated the hallway.

"But how?" Portia asked, putting the ribbons on the doors, "Hasn't he been dead for 3 years?"

"Remember that magician?" the servant asked as they cut off the wilted roses.

"Oh, the one Nadia hired to find Il-Julian, right?" she corrected herself before her friend could notice.

"Yes, yes," servant nodded as they threw the wilted flowers away, "Well, guess what? Chamberlain said that they are the one who most likely revived the Count!"

"No way!" Portia looked at the girl in disbelief, "Isn't that like, complicated? I knew they were good, but I didn't expect them to be _that_ good."

The servant just shrugged as she didn't know much about magic herself, "And get this! Apparently, the Count himself said that the doctor didn't kill him!"

Portia's eyes shone brightly with hope, "Really? Are you sure? Like, one hundred per cent sure? It's not just a rumour?"

"Yeah, they should declare his innocence this evening!"

"Oh, thank god," Portia sighed in relief.

"Hm, why does it matter so much to you?"

"Oh, well, no reason, you know? It's just that..." she stopped for a moment, deciding whether she should admit that Ilya is her brother or not, "I'm glad that an innocent man won't die."

"Yeah," the servant responded as they cleaned the floor, "Same. Personally, I believe that hanging a man was a bit too, gruesome, you know?"

"Agreed."

They would continue with the chit chat if the Chamberlain didn't disturb them, "Could you please clean the Count's room? He would want it to be clean when he comes back," Chamberlain asked Portia, "I know it might be a handful, but someone needs to do it."

"No problem," she smiled as she picked up her mop, "Also, where's your feather?" she asked, gesturing at his hat.

"It's..." he frowned, looking away from Portia, "Complicated to say the least."

"Alright, keep your secrets then," she chuckled as she left the hallways, climbing up the stairs to got o the Count's room.

'I remember when this place was _haunted_ ,' she smiled at the thought, 'Oh, how scared Babouche when he came running to me, claiming he saw a ghost of a goat!' she giggled, "Maybe, now that the count is alive, the place isn't haunted anymore? Guess I'll have to find out."

She walked into the room, almost choking at the dust and ashes.

"Good lord," she gasped, letting more dust go into her mouth. After a loud cough, she examined the room, covering her mouth with a hand.

"This place looks like it hasn't been cleaned for years!" she started mopping the floor, "Makes sense, though. No wonder even Chamberlain called this place a handful."

She looked at the room even more, with disgust clear in her eyes, "Everything is so dirty...Wait, are these books?" she walked next to the shelves, examining it, "Those are books. But wait, if there was a fire, shouldn't have these books burned already?" she frowned as she read a title of a book, _Hundred Fairy tales_ , "Isn't the Count illiterate? Why are there books in the first place? How is the count even illiterate? This doesn't make sense." she massaged her temples, "I shouldn't think much about this, it'll make less sense the more I think about it."

She cleaned the floor, frequently wetting the broom with water, "I'll have to change the water soon," she thought, "Great..."

As she was about to leave the room, she noticed the painting. She turned back to it, tracing the torn cloth with her fingers, "Shame," she said to herself, examining the remains of the painting, "It looks expensive. Wonder how it got ruined this badly."

She picked up a bucket of dirty water, leaving the room. Others have been working non-stop on decorating the palace for the Masquerade, only stopping for a moment to greet Portia.

"Still cleaning Count's chamber?" her friend asked.

"And I'm not even halfway done," she chuckled.

"Did you run into any ghosts?" Babouche asked her jokingly as he helped her change the water.

"Oh, yes, it was _so_ crowded I thought the Masquerade has already started!" she joked as she took the bucket, going back to the dirty room. 

It took her two hours to clean the whole room and, by the end of it, the room was unrecognizable. The old duvets are changed with the new, expensive velvet sheets, the ones that Nadia never wanted to use. As for those childish books, they were cleaned, she especially made sure not to rub them too hard so that she wouldn't damage the old covers. It was clear that the Count wouldn't even appreciate it, but she always wanted to give her best at everything she did. As for the desk, she tried her best to clean it, however, there seemed to be some scratches on its sides, some smaller, some deeper, other's older, some newer. She knew she couldn't do much about it, so she just cleaned the dust and ashes off. Overall, she was surprised by how the furniture wasn't damaged by the fire. It seemed that after a couple of good scrubs, the room looked as good as new. But she decided to brush the thought off, after all, nothing about the Count made any sense at all, so why should his room be a rational thing about him.

"What did you do to my chamber?!?"

" _Your_ chamber?" Portia turned, surprised, just to meet with the count.

There were no paintings of count left in the palace, so it was difficult to picture the image of a count, but still, this was not the image she had in mind. At first glance he was tall, however, the only thing that contributed to his height were his ridiculously tall heels. Even though he was around the same age as Nadia, the only thing that gave it off was the receding hairline.

As soon as she realised she was talking to _the_ count, she took a deep breath, making sure her mannerism was on point.  
"I cleaned it, sir, and redecorated it to what I was told was your liking."

"But it's not even _close_ to my liking!" he started complaining, but stopped as soon as he saw her devastated expression, "Er, I mean, it's not so bad for a newbie..."

"I've been working in the palace for three years," Portia clarified, pissed at his comment. She didn't let him say anything, no, she was going to give him a piece of his mind.

"I took my time off of putting on the decorations for the party, which was big talk for _weeks_ ," she continued talking in a more composed tone, not wanting to get fired," To clean your room. It took me quite a lot of time since nobody hasn't gone inside the room for as long as I have worked here. If some things are not to your liking, I'll make sure to fix it, after the party." she looked at him, trying to estimate if her response was good enough.

Lucio wasn't pleased, she was sure of that, however, everything he was about to say seemed to disappear as soon as he caught a glance of a certain magician, "Just add more white and red fabrics," he didn't bother to look at Portia as he said that, instead, he walked away, following the magician, "And gold, don't forget the gold!"

"Um..." she watched the count walk away, leaving her alone in his room, "Sure?"

Portia didn't know how to react. As she was leaving Lucio's chamber, joining other maids, she thought about the count. He was... _unique_ , to say the least. But the only thing she couldn't decide was whether or not count is as bad as everyone said he was? Sure, he is a bit over the top, but he is still the reason her brother won't be hanged. Though she was sure that this party will be like no other, with the count as the main attraction. _How fun!_


	9. Asra/Julian/Lucio/Valerius arguing with MC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mention of alcoholism in Julian's headcanon.

**Asra**

The shop was just about to close when Asra came up to MC, telling them that they are planning on going away, again.

"But you've just come back," MC sighed as they closed the shop, "Why are you going so soon?"

"I'm sorry, but I just have to go, I'll be back soon," they smiled at MC as they packed their things.

"Then why don't you take me with you?" Mc turned to them.

"We've talked about this," Asra started explaining, "I'll take you with me once, I truly will-"

"Why not take me now? If the trip is not _that long_ , then why is it a problem to take me with you?"

"Because..."

"Because what? You don't want me to come with you?"

"It's, it's not like that."

"Then what is it all about? Please explain," they massaged their temple, "Look, I understand it might be a problem to bring another person without a plan."

"That is exactly my point-"

Mc stopped Asra, continuing with their argument, "But you've never told me you were going to go, and the last _three_ times you've told me it won't be that long, it turned out your _little trips_ lasted for months."

"Why are my travels a problem now?" they asked with a bit of bitterness in their voice.

MC noticed that, but continued talking, in a calmer manner, "Your travels are not a problem. They never were, the problem is you distancing yourself from me! I just want to spend some time with you and bond, but it feels like every time we get a bit closer, you cut the ties by going on another travel! Please, tell me why is that? I just want to know the reason."

"Why do you have to know?" they turned to them, "Just because you can't live off without me, doesn't mean I can't. I just want some space and you're making a huge fuss over it." they were about to continue arguing until they saw MC trembling, tears rolling down their cheeks.

"MC," they stopped talking, realising what they've done, "I, I didn't mean to-"

"Go," MC stared at them, trying their best to fight tears, "If I'm the one holding you back," their lips trembled as they let the words out, "Then I will stop. Here, you're free. _Congratulations!_ ," tears formed in their eyelashes, making Asra's expression all blurry, but they didn't want to see them now.

Asra didn't give MC a chance to leave, instead, they hugged them tightly, "I want you to know," they kissed MC's forehead, moving a few strands of hair away, "You've never been a burden, truly," they wiped off MC's tears.

"It's just that there is so much I wish to tell you, but I don't know how. It's always been easier to just bury it all away, but that wasn't fair to you," they looked at MC's puffy eyes, their heart aching at the sight, "Come," Asra lead them to their room, "It's time for me to explain _everything_."

They put MC next to them and with a bit of hesitation started explaining what happened three years ago.

"I... died?" MC asked them, mortified.

"Yes," Asra hugged MC, "Don't worry, everything's fine now. I'm here," they told MC as they spent the rest of the night together, explaining everything from the beginning.

******Julian:** ** **

"Not again," MC groaned as they tried their best to lead Julian out of the Rowdy raven. Once the two of them got home, MC gently put Julian on a chair, trying to get them some water.

"You promised me you won't spend nights at the Rowdy raven," they handed Julian a glass of water, "You know it's not good for you to drink this much, it's getting out of control."

"I, I'm sorry..." Julian stuttered, struggling to hold the glass with both of his hands, "This is the last time, I promise."

"This is the fourth time you've promised me that," MC said as they helped drunk Julian drink water, "Please, if you are bothered by anything, you can always turn to me," they smiled as they put the glass on the table.

"Why do you want me to stop drinking?" he protested, "You're no better than me, you know?"

"Well," MC was caught off guard, but they continued, "I do drink from time to time... but I don't drink as much as you do!"

"Don't play innocent!" he stood up a tad bit too quickly, nearly falling. He didn't let this stop him, so he used the table as a support.

"I know you've been drinking a lot lately. You just buy new bottles to replace the empty ones!"

"Well, at least _I_ don't get drunk every time!" MC protested, "Look at yourself! Who knows what would have happened if I haven't stepped in!"

"I know what would have happened," Julian started, "I would have at least had some fun and not get a lecture from a hypocrite!"

"I'm _not_ a hypocrite!" MC shouted, "Can't you see? I'm just trying to take care of you..."

"Then why don't you take care of yourself first?!?"

"I-" MC looked at drunk Julian in disbelief. They walked out of the house, saying, "Fine, I will!"

They slammed the door after themselves, walking away into the night. They were alone, thinking about their decision. Was it okay to just abandon Julian like that? He is probably still sitting on that chair right now, not knowing what to do.

No, now is not the time to pity him. He is the one who hurt them, so why are they the one feeling bad? It's not their fault that Julian doesn't take care of himself. They decided to put the thought aside, going into the shop to talk with Asra.

They didn't bother with knocking, instead, they unlocked the door and walked quietly upstairs, in case Asra was asleep. After a couple of minutes spent on roaming around the shop, they realised that Asra was not home.

'Dammit,' they thought, 'Why are they always away?' their eyes became glossy, 'Gosh, why did I even bother...' they walked to the kitchen, looking for some beverage.

Just before they were to open a glass of Prakran wine, MC stopped themselves, 'He was right,' they put the bottle where they found it, 'I am being hypocritical,' they walked away from the kitchen, trying to look for something to distract themselves with. They can't just turn to alcohol whenever something goes wrong. Wait, isn't that the same thing they told Julian? 'The irony,' they chuckled at the thought, "I'm such an idiot," they thought as they took a glance at the window, trying to enjoy in the calm night, however, they were met with the sight of a drunk plague doctor breaking into the shop.

"Um," MC stared at the Julian who, somehow, got his legs tangled, "The doors were unlocked..."

"They... were?" he asked, reddening as he tried to get himself in the shop, "You should, you should know better," he didn't know what to say, so he just said the first thing that came to his mind, "What if, you know, someone was to-"

"Break in?" they finished his sentence with a sad smile. After they have gotten themselves together, they said: "Look, about drinking," MC said as they helped Julian get into the shop, "I was terrible, I shouldn't have put all of the blame on you."

"But, I-"

"Please, let me finish," MC stopped Julian before they could blame himself, "Let's be real, I was being a bitch even though I'm not doing any better than you are. I was a hypocrite," they looked at Julian in the eyes, "I don't want our relationship to fall apart because of vodka."

"Me neither," he hugged them, "I'm, I'm sorry," he said, accidentally letting out a sob.

"Me too," they hugged him back, snuggling their head in his chest, "Let's go back and talk about it tomorrow," they said as they left the shop with Julian.

******** ** **

**********Lucio:** ** ** ** **

"Could we please go somewhere quieter," MC asked Lucio as they tried not to spill champagne from their glass, "I don't like it here."

"Oh come on, just enjoy yourself," Lucio smiled, offering them his drink, to which MC reclined, "Don't be such a killjoy. You always enjoyed parties!"

"Well yes, but don't you think it's a bit more crowded than usual?" MC said as they glanced at the crowd of drunk men singing.

"So you've noticed it, too," he smiled proudly, "Isn't it amazing? People all over the world came to _my_ party!"

"It is," MC nodded, "It's just that it's more than I expected..."

"Nobody expected it," he moved a strand of hair from MC's face, "But I'm glad. Come," he pulled them to the centre of the ballroom, "Let's dance~"

"Slow down," MC said, "Everyone is watching..."

"They should," he answered happily as he grabbed MC's hand, "Say, what's on your mind?"

"I'll be honest with you," they said with a sigh, "I saw you flirting with a maid, _again_."

"What maid," he chuckled nervously.

"Don't play dumb," they protested, getting a few glares from others, but they didn't care, "You know which maid. You know you shouldn't get intimate when you're in a relationship with someone else."

"Then what about you and Asra? The two of you are close," he blurted it out, trying to change the topic.

"Yes, because I've lived with them for three years," they noted, "But why does my relationship with Asra matter now?"

"Because you're saying to not be intimate with someone when _you_ can comfortably change in front of someone else."

"Why does it matter? You know we've lived together, so it's only natural that we are close. I believe you know that we wouldn't do anything. You're just nitpicking. Lucio, please tell me, did you do it?" they pressed further.

He was silent for a moment, knowing there is no turning back. "Yes, I did it," he sighed, "It's not because I don't love you, I do," he started, breaking a bit when he saw MC's glossy eyes, "I just, don't know what got into me. It's just that I got so happy for a moment. We didn't do anything... _too_ special," he blushed from embarrassment, "It was just a moment of weakness, I swear!"

"Look, I know what I did was terrible," he looked at the side, "And I don't have any excuse-"

"So why did you do it?" they asked him, tearing up, "You know how much it hurts me."

"I, I never intended to, it's just that I have been so stressed lately," he started explaining, "You know, with the problems with the South end. I just needed to... relieve myself, you know? Have some fun-"

"To _relieve_ yourself?" they looked at him in disbelief, ignoring the crowd staring, "You're unbelievable!" they kept their composure even though they wanted to scream and shout. How could he do this to them again?!?

"I'm off to _cheating to you with Asra_ ," they said bitterly, walking away from the ballroom, down the hallways. Where should they go? They took a glance at Lucio's chamber. _'Definitely not here,'_ they thought as they kept on walking, trying to walk through the crowds of people. After stumbling away from the huge crowd, they found themselves in front of the room where Nadia let her stay as a guest.

 _'How nostalgic,'_ they thought bitterly, walking inside. Everything stayed the same, making them remember how they came into the palace, how they were more of a detective than a magician. Laughing at the thought, they sat down on the bed, remembering how Mercedes and Melchoir dragged them into Lucio's room...

"MC, are you here?" Lucio asked, opening the doors, only to find MC sitting on the bed.

"I'm _so_ sorry," He walked to them.

"Are you really, though?" they asked him, through tears.

"Of course I am," they stopped midtrack, getting hurt by MC's harsh words, "I hate to see you hurt like this."

"Then why did you cheat on me **************again**************?!?" they shouted at him, letting all of their frustration out, "First time, you fucked with Valerius while I was visiting Asra," they sobbed, reviving the old pain, "Who was so sick that they could barely talk."

"But, but," he stepped back, getting caught red-handed, "Haven't we already talked about this?"

"We have, but it looks like you never listened!" they quickly wiped off their tears, continuing to argue, "Or you just felt bad that you were caught!" they took a deep breath, trying their best to calm themselves down, "And I forgave you, I ** ** ** ** ** ** **fucking************** forgave you because I believed your lies about how you didn't mean to, and how you've changed. Over time, it looked like you changed, it looked like you really regretted it."

"And I do, I truly do!" he tried to reason with MC, but to no avail.

"Bullshit! Looking back at it now, Valerius' apology was more honest than yours," they closed their eyes, remembering how sorry Consul looked when he saw them distressed, "One of the biggest gossipers in the palace was more honest than you..." they looked at Lucio with only anger in their eyes, "I believe that says a lot, doesn't it? You have to learn that your actions have consequences."

"I know that I make-"

"Little oopsies?" they continued, "I'm done being toyed with. Continue this party, and every other after this one, without me," they stood up from the bed, walking past Lucio, "I don't want to see you _ever_ again."

"You, you don't mean it, do you?" he walked behind them, cold sweat running down their face.

MC stopped in their tracks, facing Lucio, "Look at me in the eyes and say I don't mean it," they looked at Lucio's devastated expression as the realization hit him, "Go on and fuck Valdemar now if you want to, I don't care anymore. Farewell," they told him as they got lost in the crowd of people, leaving him alone, again.

**************Valerius:** ** ** ** ** ** **

The most popular topic to gossip about lately has been Nadia's new partner and Valerius was enjoying every part of it, not just because a commoner and royalty were in a relationship, but also because making fun of some charlatan is always entertaining.

"I knew that Nadia never had a good taste, but this is a new low," praetor giggled.

"Let's be real for a second," Valerius smiled as he drank his wine, "Countess didn't fall for their looks."

"Agreed."

"And they aren't richer than her," he continued talking as he poured more wine, "So that leaves us with their... _personality_ ," he grimaced.

Praetor burst in laughter, "No way," he said as he brushed his tears off.

"But think about it," he persisted, "Is there any other thing that's interesting about them? Anything at all?"

"Hm," he stopped laughing and thought for a moment, "Give me a moment."

"I think you'll need more than _just_ a moment," he smiled mischievously.

"And I think you can mind your own business, Consul," Mc said as they walked into the room, sitting right across the Consul, "Please leave me alone."

"Oh, would you look at that," Valerius looked at Mc, then at Vlastomil, who quickly saw himself out, "The witch decided to come out of their lair," he smiled uncomfortably as he drank even more.

"I believe you should stop with drinking," they said, "It seems that whenever you have too much of it, you say some rubbish that you might regret later."

"Is that a threat?" he raised his eyebrow, getting annoyed.

"I can assure you this conversation will be between the two of us," they said as they straightened their back, "We're both adults and I believe we can solve our problems on our own, no?"

Upon hearing that the countess won't know a thing, he calmed down, giving MC a smug smile, "Of course."

"Please, tell me," they didn't bother to hide their annoyance, "What do you have against me?"

"Well, I don't know," he played dumb, "Maybe I'm bothered that a nobody started to hit on Nadia for an obvious reason-"

"And what would that obvious reason be?"

"Money, fame, good position," he counted, "You know, all of the things that a witch couldn't get on their own."

"Please explain what do you have against _me doing magic?!?_ "

He raised his hands in defence, keeping his composure, "It's not that I have something _against it_ , it's just that I believe it's useless. Everything that you do with your _magic_ could be done with a more reasonable approach. Instead of _healing potions_ ," he rolled his eyes, annoyed that he even had to say such silly things out loud, "We can take medicine."

"And what about things that you can't replace with anything else, such as tarot readings?" they asked, clearly pissed.

"Why, what a ridiculous, yet expected question, coming from you," he sipped his wine, enjoying MC's reaction, "I don't need some stupid cards to tell me how I should live my life. I don't need to know my future, such knowledge would only hold me back, no?" he paused for a moment to enjoy MC's reddened face, "Knowing magic is not my business, and neither is it for any other person. It's useless!"

"What an interesting statement coming from someone who has been sticking their nose in _other people's business,_ " they responded with venom in their voice.

"So, you're not denying that magic _is_ useless and as such you are worthless as well?" he smiled showing bitterness just as much as MC did.

"It is _NOT_ useless!"

"But if it's as useful as you claimed it to be, then why aren't we all blessed with such an ability?"

"In conclusion," they took a deep breath, not letting their emotions get control of them, "You hate me just because I use magic?"

"Not just because of that," he corrected them, ignoring the fact that MC changed the topic, "I dislike you because you only know about magic and nothing else. You just don't bring anything good for Vesuvia. I agree," he paused to gulp wine, putting the glass back on the table, " Lucio was a terrible, barbaric ruler, but at the very least he knew how to deal with people. Too bad I can't say the same for you, but hey," he tilted his head giving MC a fake smile, "At least you're just as dumb as him. Honestly," he looked to the side, trying to make a sad face, "Nadia should have stayed with him, with the right approach, they could have made something of Vesuvia."

" _Honestly_ ," they stood up, not bothering to even look at Consul, "It's no use talking to you," they walked out of the room, saying, "Have a _lovely_ day."

Valerius was left alone in the room, thinking about his actions. No, he doesn't regret what he said, but he realised that he might have gone a bit overboard. In the end, he stood up and went to look for the magician.

After checking every room in the palace, Valerius was convinced that magician went back to their shop.

 _'Why do they keep the shop open anyway?'_ he thought as he was about to take the carriage, he noticed the magician was still here, in the palace garden, sitting by the fountain. He sat next to them, without exchanging a word. After a couple of moments, MC said, not bothering to face Valerius:

"You know what pisses me off about you the most?" they asked, not bothering to wait for an answer, "I hate you as much as, probably even more than you hate me, yet _I don't go around telling people you're a hopeless alcoholic_ ," they said bitterly, turning to him, "Even though I strongly believe it."

"I," he looked to the side, embarrassed, "I may have used the wrong words to express myself."

" _May have?_ " they repeated, chuckling.

 _'At least they cooled off,'_ they thought.

"I haven't changed my mind," he started explaining, "I believe it was rude to add Lucio into the conversation..." he stopped for a moment, thinking about everything rude he said, realizing the list is much bigger than he first thought it was, "And I shouldn't have degraded you by your profession, _even though I still don't like it_ ," he mumbled to himself.

"I never wanted you to like it," they stopped him, "But I appreciate the apology," they smiled, "Let's start over."

"Let's."

"But if I ever hear you gossiping about Nadia I'll put a hex on you," they warned him, chuckling at the thought.

"You can do that?" he asked, surprised.

"Well, I can't do anything big, I've never cursed someone before," they admitted, "But I'm confident I could curse you to taste spoiled milk every time you drink wine."

"So you can curse people?" he asked, intrigued.

"Why are you so interested in magic all of a sudden?" they asked, a bit worried by Consul's reaction.

He was silent for an awkward moment, only to respond with: "I have my reasons," he said with a mischievous smile. He stood up, going back into the palace, "I'll count on your knowledge of this dark magic, magician."


	10. Main six when a customer is flirting with MC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scenario:  
> HC to dense MC[ gender-neutral ] giving the love potion that the customer requested. Mc being curious, asked to whom is it for since that costumer and MC’s close. Not knowing the LI is behind MC, the costumer offers them the love potion with a blush on their cheeks as an answer. Mc being confused and didn’t get what they’re trying to say, so now the costumer’s thinking of making a move on them to make them understand better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from Tumblr.

**Asra**

It was Valentine's day and MC and Asra decided to use this to their advantage by keeping the shop open, selling to the couples some scented candles, rose quartz and other cute gifts. Asra was just helping one of the customers choose a gift when another buyer came in.

"Don't worry," MC told Asra, "I'll help them."

They walked to the customer and, upon noticing that he shops here often, greeted them with their usual smile.

"Good evening! How can I help you?"

"Oh, hi," he smiled, "Um, do you, by any chance, sell love potions?"

"Yup, we have two left," they walked to the back of the shop, "You need only one, right?"

"Yes, yes," he said as he looked around the shop, taking a glance at everything.

"Here you go!" they smiled as they put the potion on the counter, "It's a bit pricy-"

"I don't mind," he blurted.

"Oh, good then," they smiled, as they held his hand, "There's no need to be nervous over buying a love potion, trust me, people have bought far worse things," they smiled as they took the potion, reading the price to him.

"So," they asked as they counted the money, "Who's the lucky one?"

"You," he blushed as he shoved the potion into MC's hands, nearly dropping it.

They just stared at him, confused, "For me? But... _you've_ bought it," they tilted their head, confused. They took the potion, inspecting it. After some time, they raised their head, saying: "Oh, you don't like the bottle?" they tapped the small imperfection on the glass, "I can give you the other one if you want."

"I- that's not what I," he tried to explain, but couldn't find the right words. His mind was blank. This is not how he imagined it would go. "I'll show you," he gently held their face, leaning forward, however, he stopped as soon as he felt something slither up his leg.

With cold sweat he looked down, seeing a snake go up to his waist.

His face lost more and more colour, making it look like he was just about to faint, however, Asra quickly took Faust, shoving the potion into the man's hands.

"Sorry, we're closing," Asra said, putting on the nicest smile they could, "So, if you're done-"

"I'm leaving, I'm leaving!" he said, walking right out of the shop, not wanting to come back ever again.

"But weren't we supposed to work until 9?" Mc asked, gesturing at the clock ticking right at 7:30.

Asra only smiled as they locked the shop, "But shouldn't _we_ also celebrate Valentine's?" they went back, kissing MC. "If he ever comes to the shop, let me take care of him."

"Um, sure," Mc said, putting the coins to the side, accidentally dropping three of them. "Could you start the bath while I clean the shop?"

"Of course," they helped MC pick up the coins and went upstairs, giving Faust a little treat for making that guy go away.

**Julian**

MC has just gotten some new goods for the shop and Julian wanted to help them unpackage all of the things. He helped you with larger boxes, however, due to his clumsiness, MC insisted to carry breakable objects themselves. They were just unpacking the empty bottles when they heard a customer coming in.

"I'm coming," MC shouted as they left Julian to organize herbs, carrying some bottles.

"Oh, it's you," they smiled as they saw the shy girl standing across them. They put the bottles on the counter, trying their best not to break them, "You wouldn't mind if I organized these real quick?"

"N-no," she responded, giving MC one of the bottles with some blue potion.

"Thank you, you're so kind," they smiled as they took the bottle, putting it on one of the higher shelves, "So, what brings you here today? Do you need more rose water? You always seem to run out of it," they giggled as they picked 2 small containers of rose water.

"No, I don't need more of it," she blushed, thinking about four bottles of that water collecting dust in her home.

"I need a love potion," she looked at MC, who gave them a questionable look, "That is, if you have any, of course!"

"I think we have just gotten some," they walked to the back of the shop, "I'll go get them."

They walked back to find Julian "organizing" minerals.

"Julian, dear, I appreciate the help, but you shouldn't mix rose quartz and kunzite," they told him as they picked some of the purple minerals, putting it in one of the empty boxes.

"Oh, those are two different things..." he muttered to himself, then changing the topic quickly, "So, what did the customer want?"

"A love potion," they smiled as they picked up one of the small bottles, "You should have seen her face, she was so embarrassed," they smiled as they picked up one of the potions as well as the box full of rose quartz, "Thank you for putting it back into its order," they blew him a kiss, going back to the customer.

"Lucky for you we have just gotten 20 of these," they smiled as they put the box filled with quartz next to the counter, "If you buy four of these, you can get the potion for a cheaper price."

"I, uh, sure," she blurted it out, giving them the whole pouch.

"Don't get me wrong," they giggled as they put the coins back into the pouch, "Potions like these are expensive, but giving that much money is just outrageous," they gave her the pouch back.

"I, uh," she blushed, "There should be enough to cover the sum I owed you last time..."

"Oh," they exclaimed, "I see," they gave them the potion and two rose quartzes, "Here, this should be about right."

She took the items, looking at them, then back at MC.

"Is something wrong?" they asked her with a frown on their face.

"Here," she handed them the potion, blushing like a madman.

They looked at them, then back at the potion, taking it from her hand and raising it right to their eye level.

"What? No, there is nothing-"

"Oh, you're right," they looked at the pink liquid in disbelief, "I can't believe that merchant scammed me!" they put the bottle down on the counter, "I'll have to have a serious talk with them later," they frowned, something like this has never happened before.

"I'll return the money," they took the pouch, counting the coins, "I'm _so_ sorry for this," they started apologizing as they gave her the coins back, "I have never had a problem like this. Let's keep in contact, I'll tell you when we got the real potions. I'll have to check if this is the _only_ scam," they said as the image of other potions came to mind.

"It, it's not about the potions," she wanted to tell them how she felt about them but decided that actions speak louder than words. She grabbed them by the collar, pulling them to her.

"What do _you_ think you're doing?" Julian asked, shocked, as he watched the whole thing unravel.

The girl shivered at the sight of the tall doctor, "I, um, you two are," she asked, looking at MC, then back at Julian. It didn't take long for her to realise the relationship between them. "I'm _so_ sorry," she said, backing away from the magician, "I had no idea," she blushed, taking her money and leaving the shop without saying goodbye.

Julian muttered goodbye, closing the shop. "I think we had enough for today!" he huffed, "If she ever comes back to the shop, let me know, alright?" he yawned, hugging MC.

"Um, sure," MC hugged him back, "But don't you think you were a bit rude to her?" they asked him.

"MC, think," he started, picking the potion up, "I give you a _love_ potion," he gave them the potion, putting it in their hands, "Then," he grabbed them by the collar, in the same way, she did, "I lean to you," he let go of their collar, gently putting his hand below their chin, giving them a light peck on their lips. 

After he pulled away, MC turned the brighter red than Julian's hair, muttering: "So that's what she meant," under their breath.

**Nadia**

"And then," Nadia mused, trailing the edge of the saucer with her index finger, "When I drank the coffee Natiqa gave me, I realised she put in salt instead of sugar."

"No way," MC laughed, "What did you do?"

"I tried my best not to spit it right across her face," she frowned, remembering the foul taste, "And so I held it in my mouth, with Nazali sitting right next to me, not knowing what was going on," she laughed at the memory, "And so I signed in the air, _S-A-L-T_. That's when Natiqa burst to laughter, as for Nazali, they-" Nadia wanted to continue talking, however, she heard the bell ring downstairs.

"Someone came in?" MC asked, confused, "I must have forgotten to close the shop," they stood up from their bed, walking out of the room, "I'll be right back," they smiled at Nadia as they rushed downstairs.

"Good evening sir," they looked at a man who greeted them with a smile, "What can I do for you?"

"Hi," he smiled at them, then continued, "I was wondering, do you have any love potions, by any chance?"

"Love potions," they repeated, trying to remember if they got any in the back room, "I think I have only one left, is that enough?"

"Yeah, yeah," he smiled, "One should be enough."

"Give me a moment," they said as they went to the backroom, going over the potions, trying to read through the labels in the dark. The shapes of the bottles didn't help, either, all of them were made from the same, cheap glass, the only thing that distinguished them was the scratches they had.

MC took one bottle, shook it a bit, then examined its contents. Surely enough, the liquid started to glow faint pink. They proudly walked back to the customer, "Today is your lucky day," they said happily as they put the potion in front of them, "This was the last one!"

"How great," he said, taking out his pouch, "And how much does it cost?"

"It costs 500 silver."

"That much?" he asked, surprised, "So, love potions are more expensive than sleeping potions," he smiled awkwardly.

"Well, it is supposed to make a person fall in love with you for a whole day, so it's pretty reasonable," they said with a smile, "Of course, the potion doesn't work if the person is already in love with someone. The same thing goes with the sleeping potion you took," they continued with their long explanation, "If you didn't have any problems with your sleeping routine,"

"The potion wouldn't work, right?" he finished the sentence for them.

"Yes, you're right," MC smiled, then gave him a warning, "Just be careful when using it, also, I need to explain how you use it."

"That would be great," he smiled, "I never really understood how any of this," he gestured at all of the items in the shop, "is supposed to work."

"Alright, so first, you take a bit of it, no more than 2 drops," they pretended to pour some potion, "On your hands. Next, and this is a bit tricky," they admitted, "You need to pour the remaining content on the person, or let them consume it somehow."

"In any case, it needs to get in contact with the other person?" he asked, leaning forward.

"Exactly," they nodded in agreement, "Also, the potion won't work if you try to get more than one person to love you."

"Well, I only have eyes on one person," he said, looking at the potion, then at MC, "Say, do you think I could just give it to the person I love?"

They were taken back by the question, not knowing how to respond, "Well, if you believe they would take it on their own, then sure?"

He nodded, trying to think over their answer, then, with a shy smile, gave MC the potion back. "For you," he said.

"For me?" they asked, confused, "What, why would I need it?" they hid their awkward laughter with their hand, "I'll get more in a couple of days if that's what you're suggesting."

He stared at them, dumbfounded, deciding to take more drastic measures. The lid of the potion went off easily, letting him pour a couple of drops on his hand, just how MC instructed, then, he took the battle, emptying all of its content on the magician. Both of them stood there for a moment, staring at each other awkwardly.

"If you wanted to see whether or not it worked," MC started, "You shouldn't have tried to put it on me. I already love someone," they smiled awkwardly, "I'm sorry but I'm not giving any refunds."

"You, you do," he asked, disappointed, "Who are they?"

"That would be me, _good sir_ ," Nadia said as she gracefully walked down the stairs, "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, annoyed, "Look at their clothes," she gestured at MC, "They're ruined."

"Countess, I, I," he stared at her, not believing his eyes, "I'm so sorry."

"I truly hope you are," she stared at him, frowning, "However, an apology won't clean their clothes now, would it?"

He felt a strange, uncomfortable sensation as Countess stared at him. The pouch was quickly emptied, and he left, blurting out some apologies.

"How disrespectful," Nadia just sighed, closing the shop for them.

"Oh wait," MC blushed after a moment, "He didn't want to test it," they looked at Nadia, "He wanted to," they turned even redder, unable to finish their sentence.

Nadia just laughed at the scene, kissing MC on their flushed cheeks, "Took you long enough."

**Muriel**

It was a rainy summer evening and Muriel and MC concluded that they should use this time to organize the shop. He was sorting some of the herbs, humming some song that only he knew until Inanna started barking loudly. After listening to Inanna, he said: "You have customers," walking to the back of the shop.

Just as he left, a familiar customer entered the shop.

"Sheesh, it's pouring out here," he said as they closed their umbrella. He put it aside, right next to the entrance door, "Is it okay if I put it here?"

"Of course," MC said, putting the coins away, writing the amount on some paper, "How can I help you?"

"So, I was wondering if you had, you know," he looked to the side, "I heard about it from my friends, it's a potion, in a small bottle," he put his hands close to one another, "And it has pink liquid-"

"So, you need a love potion?" they walked to one of the shelves, taking the tiny bottle out, "This one?"

"Yes, that's the one!" he smiled happily, "So, how much will it cost?"

"Cheap price," MC said sarcastically, "Just a cheap 500 silver."

"Only 500?" he asked in the same tone as MC, "I believe you should raise it to 1500 at least!"

"Sure," MC said with a smirk, "Just because you're a common customer, you'll get the special price of 1500 silver!"

"You're joking," he asked, worried, "Right?"

MC burst into laughter, nearly dropping the potion, "Don't worry, the price stays the same."

He smiled, giving MC the coins, "Thank you so, so much! Don't worry, I know how to use it," he took the potion, giving it a little shake, "My friends explained it to me."

Just before he left, MC asked them, being unable to hold their curiosity in, "So who's the lucky one?"

He blushed at the question, debating on whether or not he should tell them now or later. After taking in a deep breath, he decided that now is the perfect opportunity. He walked back to the counter, giving them the potion back with a blush. "You are."

"Me?" they laughed awkwardly, not getting what he was implying.

He realised this and decided to kiss them to make them understand better. He grabbed them by the collar, slowly pulling them to him. Just before he was going to kiss them, he saw in the corner of his eye a huge dog. _No, that's not right, dogs are smaller._ He looked at the dog better, only to be greeted by Inanna who was wagging her tail, happy that she finally got some attention.

"A, A wolf?!?" he asked, pulling himself away, shaking.

"Don't worry," MC reassured them, confused by what they were trying to do just now, "She won't bring you any harm."

"Yeah..." he stared at the wolf, not feeling any better from MC's statement, "Since when do you have a wolf?"

"I never did," they laughed, "She is my boyfriend's familiar."

"Your-" he turned back to them, only to be greeted by a giant man standing right behind MC.

He didn't say anything, however, just taking a glance at his eyes made the customer realise what Muriel wanted to say. "I'll see myself out," he blurted as he walked out of the shop back into the pouring rain.

"Wait," MC shouted, "You forgot the potion!" they waited for a moment, however, the customer never came back. Just when they wanted to put potion to the side where all of the things the customers forgot are, they noticed that Muriel was right behind them. "There you are," they smiled, grabbing him by the collar, slowly pulling him down. _Wait a minute_. MC stopped in their tracks, remembering the gestures the customer did to them. The realization hit them, making them a blushing mess.

Muriel stared at them for a moment, then bursting into laughter. "So you've finally figured it out?"

MC blushed even more from embarrassment, "Yeah," they said as they buried their head into Muriel's chest. "Let's not speak about this ever again."

He smiled as they pat MC's head, "Sure."

**Portia**

Portia and MC were bored in the shop, not getting any customers, so they decided to pass the time with baking. The two of them were making a mess out of MC's kitchen, deciding to throw flour at each other, for some strange reason. Overall, they were having a good time, with a few laughs and concerning coughs from Portia who accidentally inhaled cinnamon.

"Are you alright?" they asked Portia, concerned, "Do you need water?"

It took her a bit of time to respond, but after she coughed out the cinnamon, she reassured MC with a dry voice, that she is fine. "Is the dough too dense?" she finally asked after some time.

"I think I didn't add enough of the flour," they responded, trying to get the dough off their fingers, "Maybe because most of it is in my hair," they laughed awkwardly.

She walked next to them, taking a bit of the dough between her fingers, then finally responded, "Yeah, it needs more flour. We have more downstairs, right?" she rushed out of the room, skipping few staircases at the time, "I'll get it~"

And sure enough, after a couple of moments, she's back, "There is someone downstairs," she told them as she poured a bit too much flour into the mixture.

"Oh, no one usually comes at this time," they said as they cleaned their hands, "I'll join you later," they said as they went downstairs.

"See you," Portia giggled as she watched MC go downstairs with flour in their hair.

"Oh, hey there, what can I do for you?" MC asked them, trying to look as professional as possible.

The customer tried their best to hold in their laughter from the sight of the flour-covered MC. They quickly calmed down, saying: "Do you have any love potions, by any chance?"

"Yeah, it's right over," they walked to one of the shelves, taking one of the potions back to the counter, "Here," they smiled, "I assume you know how to use it?"

They were taken back by the question, but they still gave MC a quick nod, "Yeah, yeah, of course, my... friend used it once," they gave MC a quick lie, knowing that they'll use the potion soon anyway.

"Oh, alright then. Now, I know this might turn you away from buying it," they said as they scratched the back of their head, "But just know that love potion isn't a good way to get someone to love you," they said.

"I know, but I still want to give it a shot," after they read the price and gave MC the money, they collected all of their courage, offering MC the potion, "For you," they whispered, clearly not having enough courage to say it loudly.

"Are you..." MC stared at them, trying to think why they would give them the potion back. After some time, they concluded, "So you've changed your mind," they gave the customer their money back, "I know this is bad for my business, but I'm glad you didn't buy it," they smiled, "Love potion will only bring you more trouble than good."

"No," they said, "That's not what I meant," they looked at them, realising that they didn't explain themselves well. "Let me show you _exactly_ what I meant," they took them by the hand, leaning forward and just before they could kiss MC, they felt something hit them. They turned back, only to find their shirt was stained by flour.

"What do you think you're doing, creep?" Portia asked, pissed, "Get away from them, _now_."

They stared at Portia in shock. How could such a small girl sound so scary? How could she even throw the empty bag of flour that fiercely? They quickly abided to her words, letting go of MC, walking a couple of steps away.

"Get out of my this shop, and I hope I never see you _again_."

They felt shivers run down their spine with each of Portia's words. Without even saying goodbye, they saw themselves out of the shop, not planning to return ever again.

"Seriously MC," Portia started to criticized MC as they picked up the empty bag of flour from the floor, "You need to be a lot more rigid to people like them, trust me, I've had to deal with a handful of them over the time," she straightened her back, stretching in satisfaction, "Also, I may have accidentally made three times the right amount of the dough," she laughed, "I assume that won't be a problem for us."

**Lucio**

"Lucio you can't just mix random potions," MC insisted, "You could seriously injure yourself," they explained as they took potions from Count's hands, putting it back to their places.

"But think about it," he persisted, "What if you could make an _amazing_ potion out of these," he gestured at all of the potions in the shop, "But you would never know since you've never tried it!"

"Your idea might be true," they said after giving it a bit more thought, "But I know for a fact that if you were to mix some of these, nothing good would come out," they would have continued they thought if they didn't hear the door of the shop open, "Guess I have a customer," they muttered to themselves, "We can't make a new potion out of the ones that already exist, but we can make some potions from herbs after the customer leaves."

He kissed MC on the cheek, satisfied by their answer, "Can't wait."

They hugged him quickly, giving pets to Mercedes and Melchoir as they went to greet the customer.

"Hey there," they greeted her, "What can I do for you?"

"Hi," she smiled, "Do you sell those, what are they called..." she stopped for a moment, trying to remember the name, "Love stones?"

"Love stones?" they asked her, confused, "I'm sorry, but I've never heard of love stones before," they smiled, "Do you mean love potion?"

"Yes," she nodded, "That should be it."

MC went under the counter, noticing Melchoir laying there, its tail wiggling. They gave it a quick pat, picking up the potion.

"This should be it," they put it on the counter, "Five hundred silver."

"Only that much?" she asked, surprised.

"Well, it's actually a bit pricier," they admitted, "Usually potions cost around 100 silver, but this is supposed to make a person fall in love with you, and it lasts for a whole day, so the price is understandable."

"Oh, I see," she trailed off, "So it can make a person fall in love with you for an entire day," she repeated, deep in thought.

"Yeah, but after the effects are gone, the person will know what you did, so it might not be the best thing out there," MC giggled awkwardly, hoping that she would still want to buy the product.

"Here you go," she smiled, giving MC money.

They gave her the change and the potion, "Here you go, is that all you need?"

"Actually," she took a deep breath, knowing that now is her chance. She collected every ounce of courage she had, offering her the potion, "I wanted to tell you that I really, _really_ like you," she said, however, her words couldn't be heard from Melchoir's barking.

"Sorry," they apologised, trying to calm Melchoir down, "My boyfriend's dog is a bit spoiled and they want all of the attention, don't you, cutie?" they let Melchoir jump on its two feet, licking MC's hand.

"Your boyfriend's," she repeated, devastated.

"Yes, _my_ dog," Lucio walked next to MC, putting his golden hand over MC's shoulder, giving the girl a penetrating stare. He heard what she said.

"C-Count," she stared blankly at them. The magician she has admired for months is with _the_ count. She screwed up, big time.

"So, what did you want to say?" MC asked them, trying to be as polite as they could.

"We're _dying_ to know," Lucio added.

"I just, I just wanted to thank you," she came up with a lie, "I have been looking for it everywhere and couldn't find it. I'll be on my way now," she walked out, feeling the Count's gaze on her back.

"Why were you so harsh to her?" MC turned to him once the customer left.

He kissed them, giving them a tight hug, "I just heard what she wanted to say."

"I heard so too," they said with a smile, "Yet I didn't scare her off," they gave Mercedes a pet, "You could have just let me turn them down, you know?"

He stared at them, not knowing how to respond. After some time he decided to change the topic, "So, are we going to make a potion now?"

They smiled, closing the shop, "Sure."


	11. Julian/Lucio when MC has the same fashion taste as them

**Julian**

MC was walking in the red market, looking for some potions. The merchants didn't give them much attention, they would just tell MC off, continuing with their day. It seemed that wherever they looked, they just couldn't find what they looked for. As they moved, trying to get through a crowd, they noticed a familiar merchant, with a stool filled with herbs, potions and whatnot. They went up to him, asking whether or not he had any of the potions.

"But you had the potion last week," MC said, disappointed.

"Sorry buddy," the merchant said, "It sold way too quickly."

"Then, can I at least get the ingredients for it?" MC asked, persistent.

At their words, he chuckled, "Look kiddo, I can give you the ingredients, but making that potion drains a lot of energy," he started explaining as he played with a silver knife, "That's why it's so rare."

"I don't care," MC said, getting annoyed, "Just give me the ingredients," they said, dropping a pouch filled with coins in front of him.

Merchant shut his mouth at the sight of the pouch, quickly going over all of the herbs and powders that were needed for making the potion, trying his best to calculate the amount he should give them for all of the money's worth.

MC happily took the ingredients, putting them all in their bag. Just before they were to leave the red market, they noticed a tall figure wearing the same coat as them.

"Looking good," MC said, snickering.

At that comment the guy turned, noticing what MC meant, then added, with a smile, "You look better, though."

"Really now," MC said, laughing, as they looked at the man a bit better.

_'He's kinda cute'_ they thought.

"Yes, really," he took a glance at MC's clothes, adding, "Say, where did you get that shirt?"

"I sewed it," MC admitted, a bit embarrassed.

"You sewed it?" Julian asked, surprised, touching the fabric, "No way! It looks like it was made in Nevivon! I knew a pirate who had a similar one."

"A pirate?" MC asked, interested, "How would you know a pirate?"

"It's a long story that's best to be told with a round of salty bitters," h said, chuckling, "What do you say? I'll pay."

"Count me in," MC said as they followed him to the Rowdy Raven.

They spent the time listening to many stories, both from his childhood and from his pirate days. Overall, MC had a great time.

"I used to have a pet goldfish named Goldie," he started another story, "Once it accidentally ate a whole gold coin!"

"No way," MC said in disbelief, "How big was that goldfish?"

Julian finished his 5th glass of salty bitters, then continued, "As big as my palm," he explained, raising his hand, "Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, it swallowed the whole gold coin."

MC listened carefully, chugging down their 3rd glass of alcohol, "Then what happened?"

"At first, I was so worried, then," he leaned towards MC, excited to continue his story, "After 7 whole days it gave birth to _two_ gold coins!"

"What?" MC burst into laughter, "It _gave birth_ to _**coins**_?"

He laughed along with MC, "I know, I couldn't believe my eyes!" he stopped laughing, brushing off a tear from his eye, "However, right after she gave birth, she died," he said, dramatically covering his eyes, pretending to cry.

"May she rest in peace!" MC shouted, a bit drunk.

"She'll be in our hearts," he said as he put salty bitters away from MC.

"Guess I should go home," they tried their best to stand up and go, however, it seemed that even standing on their two legs proved to be a difficult task.

"Let me help you," he stood up as well, taking MC's hand and bag, "I'll carry it for you."

"Thanks."

"So, where do you live?" he asked, opening the door for MC.

"I live..." they thought for a moment, "I... can't remember," they raised their head, looking at him, "Do you know?"

"Um, no," he responded quickly, trying to think what he'll do. After a moment, he decided that taking MC to his home was the best idea.

"My place is not that far-" before he could finish his thought, MC fainted.

~*~

It was a rainy morning, making MC enjoy their slumber even more. Their head hurt and the only thing they needed right now is sleep. They shifted in the bedsheets, trying to find their favourite, fluffiest pillow. However, it just seemed that the pillow was nowhere to be found. They brushed the thought off, thinking it must have fallen on the floor. They rolled to the side, looking at the floor. The pillow was nowhere in sight.

_'Wait a minute,'_ they thought as they got out of bed, _'Where am I?'_

They looked at their surroundings, realizing they're not at home. What happened last night? Their memory is hazy, but they remember a ginger guy talking about something. Then, the realization struck them - they're in his home! They walked out of the room they were sleeping in, trying to find him.

"Oh, you woke up," he smiled, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, but I can't remember what happened yesterday," MC said, frowning, "I remember we had a drink-"

"If only it was one drink," he joked, then started explaining, "When we left Rowdy Raven I asked you where you lived, but you couldn't remember, so I decided to bring you to my place," he stopped for a moment, trying to think if he forgot something, "Also, you fainted on the way."

MC blushed at the thought of him carrying them, "Thank you, I owe you one. Say, how about we get a drink sometime, I'll pay."

"Sure," he gave them a pat on the back, "Just-"

"I know, I know. I won't get drunk this time," they laughed, then stopped midway.

"What's wrong?" he asked worried, "Are you feeling bad? Do you want to throw up?"

"No, no," they reassured him, "Other than a headache, I'm fine. It's just that I," they stopped for a moment, trying to not sound rude, "I kinda forgot your name."

He thought for a moment, trying to remember their name. When he couldn't, he chuckled awkwardly, "Guess we never introduced each other, I'm Julian, and you are?"

"MC," they smiled, "Pleasure to meet you."

**Lucio**

It was another one of Lucio's birthday parties and he decided to dress a bit extra for the occasion. A new tailor opened her shop in Vesuvia and so Lucio decided to get his new outfit from her. Now, as he put on the clothes, he realised that this won't be the only outfit she'll make for him. The gold was so well combined with the finest red and white silks, making it a masterpiece for such a cheap price.

He would have taken more time to admire the suit, however, the loud chatter could be heard on the other side. People have already started flooding in. Knowing damn well he looks amazing, at least to his tastes, he walked out, right into the group of people, starting little chatters, talking about his journeys during war and whatnot. The night was going splendidly until Lucio heard some strange comments. It wasn't odd that they complimented the suit in red and white, accompanied by a ridiculous amount of gold, the problem is that those compliments weren't meant for him. His eyes went over every person in the crowd until they saw them. They stood out of the crowd, wearing a ridiculous amount of gold on their shirt, suit, pants, _shoes_. 

Lucio stared at them in disbelief. How is it possible? How could _anyone_ wear more gold than him?!? Their eyes met and Lucio couldn't seem to be able to hide his frustration. The person only gave him a smug smile, going somewhere else, enjoying the party to the fullest.

Lucio spent the rest of the party salty, not able to even enjoy the dance. Once all of the guests left, he stopped hiding his anger, trying to think about how he could give it back to them. Then, he remembered, he'll hold another party next week! That is the perfect opportunity to show off. It seemed that he immediately forgot the embarrassment he felt today, preparing to look as extravagant as possible.

The week flew by and it was time for another party. Ignoring Valerius' comments on how this isn't the best idea, the Count ordered another suit, this time with expensive white fur with traces of gold at the end of each hair. Of course, that was not the only place where gold could be seen, no no, he learned from his mistakes. This time, you could barely see red fabrics from the golden brooches and jewellery.

They walked into the crowd, feeling better than ever, ignoring the rude comments about how this is too much gold for any sane person to wear. It didn't take him long before he noticed the same person from the last party, wearing just as much, if not even more gold than before. Their eyes met and this time, the person decided to confront Lucio.

"Good evening, Count," they bowed, "I must admit it, you look even better today than last week," they mocked him, plastering a smile on their face.

He saw through their facade, giving them the same treatment, "Why thank you, I must admit it that your costume is quite remarkable as well," he continued, with the same sarcastic tone, "But, I have one note," he said, holding a piece of their costume with his metal arm, "Don't you think that this is a ridiculously small amount of gold?"

"Excuse me," they asked him, confused.

"I mean," he continued, feeling his confidence boost up, "When I saw you last week, you had more gold, so," he shrugged, raising his left brow as he looked to the side, " You know, I expected more this time."

He left after that, going to take some champagne, enjoying the night, knowing that his outfit was better than theirs. However, this childish battle between the two of them didn't stop there. It took them many, many parties throughout the rest of the year until they calmed down. During that time, a lot of money was wasted on the ridiculously expensive suits that in the end had so much gold that both of them got tired of. It was only on another Lucio's birthday party that they reconciled.

"Look, let's just stop with this," they walked on Lucio's birthday party to him, "I hate to say it out loud, but I just can't afford another golden costume."

"As much as I hate to admit it," he started, looking to the side, remembering Valerius' remarks on how the price of one outfit could feed 13 people for a month, "I can't afford more, neither," he looked at his costume, frowning, "It's not even that good!"

To that comment, they only nodded, taking some of the brooches off their outfit, "I think I've seen enough gold for my _entire_ life."

"No you didn't," Lucio cut them off, "Nobody can just get bored with gold."

"True," they added, "But I don't think I'll wear anything with gold any time soon," they sighed, looking back at the count, "Say, wanna dance?" they offered him their hand with a smirk.

He took their hand, putting their metal hand over their shoulder, giving them the most idiotic smile, "You know I want to," he slowly led them at the centre stage, leaning down until his nose could barely brush their ear, whispering: "I can dance better than you."

They jerked their head away from him, quickly adding: "No, you can't."

He gave them a toothy grin, pulling them closer, "We'll see."


	12. Main six + courtiers arguing with MC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was one of the requests! Sorry that it took so long T^T
> 
> Would it be possible to see The Six+Courtiers and MC get into a big ugly fight and they go missing shortly after, can each of the Six and Courtiers be trying to find them, then going through the stages of grief when it looks like they are dead, to their reaction to MC being alive and well? Especially if MC just went travelling far away due to getting dragged into an adventure that took longer then they thought it would and honestly had not meant to worry/cause such grief for their partner?

**Asra**

"MC," they said as they put on their shoes, "I'm going."

"Where?" they asked, however, once they saw Asra's travelling bag, they knew the answer, "You could have at least told me you were going..."

"I, I'm sorry MC, I have just realised there are some herbs we are running out of."

"OF course," they nodded with an irritating smile, "Since our shop usually gets _so many customers_ that we are in a constant need for more and more items. They are most certainly not collecting dust in the back."

"MC, it's not like that," they reassured.

"But it is," they continued, annoyed, "If you needed some space you could have just told me, instead you decide to go travel God knows where for weeks!"

"It's not about me needing space!"

"Then what is it about?!?"

They were silent for a moment, their head dropping, "I, I have to go."

MC stared at them in disbelief. Asra is just going to leave like that?!?

"Fine, go then," MC responded, nearly pushing Asra out, "Have fun."

Asra felt the doors slam behind him, accompanied by the sound of the key turning in the lock. They turned, wanting to go back inside, to explain themselves, however, there was no light in the shop anymore. After knocking a tad bit loudly, they waited a minute, however, there was no sign of MC. Feeling insulted, Asra decided to go travelling; they'll explain themselves when they return home.

The whole journey didn't feel as good as it used to. Everything seemed bland and boring. In the mornings they would always get surprised when they wouldn't see MC's sleeping figure beside them, who would gently talk in their sleep whenever Asra would get out of the bed. Something, someone, is missing. Asra walked in the markets, blending in the crowd, only turning their head from time to time when they thought they saw MC. They got out of the crowd, going into one of the perfume shops. MC is quite fond of this fragrance, aren't they? They took the glass bottle, paid for it and then quickly put it in their backpack. Just on the other side of the road was a shop where they usually buy all of the herbs. After they were done with that, they headed back to Vesuvia, to MC. 

"MC, I, I'm home," they said as they took their shoes off, putting the backpack right next to the doors, "Everything went much faster than I expected," they said sheepishly as they went up the stairs to the bedroom. However, MC wasn't there. Asra walked into the kitchen, downstairs in the shop, but still, there was no sight of MC. "MC... MC!" they called out, however, there was no response. They couldn't even feel MC's aura in the entire shop.

Asra didn't let that put them down. Maybe MC felt lonely and went to Nadia? After paying the Countess a quick visit they realised that wasn't the case. MC wasn't seen in the theatre, nor the Rowdy raven, not even in the market. The only person who has seen MC was a baker, however, the last time he saw them was two weeks ago, when they went shopping with Asra...

They returned home, once again, without MC. It's been a week and there was no sign of them. At this point, Asra had to reconcile with the truth, MC left them for good. They regretted not staying that day, asking MC to talk it all out, but now they can't change anything. With that devastating thought, they sunk into a dreamless sleep.

"Good morning sleepyhead," MC said as they pecked Asra's cheek, "Didn't expect to see you home so quickly..."

Asra rubbed his eyes, hugging MC, holding them tightly as if they would disappear any moment.

"Hey, what's wrong?" they asked, rubbing Asra's back, "What's with all the hugging?"

Asra gently sighed, inhaling the familiar scent of MC's hair, "You had me worried sick. Where were you anyway?"

"A few days after you went away I got a letter from my parents. They were sick and I went to take care of them, "they plainly explained as they played with Asra's white locks of hair, "Didn't you read the message I left you?"

They broke the hug, getting out of the bed, "What message?"

"You know," MC said as they made the bed, "The message on the counter."

Asra frowned, shaking their head. They went through the whole shop and they can't recall any message. Together they went downstairs, to the said counter, however, much to MC's surprise, there was not a sight of the note. They crouched, looking under the counter, then, after a couple of coughs from all of the dust, they picked up the dusty note, handing it to Asra.

"Oh, well that explains a lot of things," MC chuckled as they stood back up.

**Julian**

It was late and MC has just brushed their teeth, ready to go to sleep. They took the burning candle, carefully walking through the hallway, walking past Julian's room. Inside, the candles were still burning Julian didn't even notice them when they entered the room. It was only when they started talking that he turned his head to them.

"You know, you should go to sleep. It's late," MC said, wanting to add how they wished they could sleep together for a change.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, nodding, "Right after I finish with this!"

"No, how about you go to sleep now?" they asked, playing with his hair" Come on, don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"But this is very important to me. I can't just stop now!" he gestured to his notes about some medical topic," Sleep can wait."

"No, it can't, and you know that. Come on, just, take better care of yourself."

"Soon. I promise,” he added as he gently pecked MC’s cheek, ” Right after this."

"Why do I feel like you're saying that just so that you could get me off your back?” they asked, moving away from him,” Please, please, just go to bed."

"Why does it matter so much?" he asked, annoyed, "I said I'll sleep. Don't make a fuss over nothing."

"Caring about your health is not making a fuss."

"Yeah, just like how you taking me out of the Rowdy Raven right at the moment when the fun started."

"It was two in the morning," they reminded him, huffing in annoyance," That's pretty late..."

"Don't be such a killjoy. I swear you act like the elderly sometimes," he said as he returned to his work, cleaning the pen off the dry ink," You're not happy when I'm having fun, you're not happy when I work. When will you be satisfied?"

"It's not about me being happy. It's not about me at all," they insisted," It's about you. I just want the best for you..." they looked at him for a moment, "Yet it looks like you don't want the same for yourself."

"Well then, I have an idea," he said with an irritated smile, "Why don't you just let me do whatever I want from time to time? You're restraining me too much, sometimes it's driving me insane!"

"Fine," MC said, irritated, as they left his room, going back to their room.

Who knows how long Julian spent working. He's not sure about it, either. All that he knows is that he woke around lunchtime on his desk. Thankfully this time ink didn’t spill. It would have been a catastrophe. He stood up, rubbing his eyes as he walked in MC’s room. Strange, they weren’t here. Right, they ran out of eggs last night, they must be in the marketplace right now! He gently hummed some melody that only he knew as he made himself a coffee. An hour has passed and MC still wasn’t home. He knew something was off, so he quickly drank anything that remained of his coffee, going to the town to look for them. Upon asking every shop owner, he realized that none of them knew where MC is. He felt worry overwhelm him as he went looking for them elsewhere.

After spending the whole day outside looking for them, it was time to return home. He hoped that MC returned home, but that was not the case. The next morning he hoped to see MC but they still haven’t returned. Several days later he spent like that, roaming the city streets, asking everyone he knows if they’ve seen MC. What if MC left them because they argued? Did they leave for someone else? Or even worse, what if something happened to them?

He kept thinking about it all as he tried to unlock the door, but they were open. Shit, he must have forgotten to lock it. He quickly went inside, expecting to find a burglar trying to take his expensive books, instead, they saw MC who has just started to unpack.

"MC, where have you been?” he said as he took off his cape, tears forming in his eyes,” Why did you leave me?"

"What?” they asked as they hugged him,” I didn't leave you, Sam has given birth and she needed my help with maintaining her business. That’s why I was away."

"Sam is a mom?!?" he asked, quickly brushing his tears off, feeling joy for her.

"Yeah, the baby is so adorable,” they smiled, “His cheeks are so rosy and, and soft! He is an angel, except when he cries at 4 AM..." they giggled, then got more serious.

Julian felt the tension between them, not knowing what to say. He did mean everything he said, however, he does believe he could have worded it a bit better.

"So, about that night..." he trailed off.

"I'll be serious with you Julian," MC started, "You're not a child, but there are times when you act like one. It would be nice if you took care of yourself from time to time. You’ll end up like Tudor by the time you turn 40!"

He felt a shiver run down his spine upon hearing the grumpy merchant’s name. “Fine…” he trailed for a moment, then quickly added as he kissed MC on the forehead, “I’m glad you’re back.”

**Nadia**

This evening MC and Nadia have spent their time in the palace garden, drinking tea and enjoying each other’s company. However, Nadia couldn’t help but notice how there is something wrong with MC. Not just now, it’s been like this for several weeks, maybe even a whole month. MC would spend copious amounts of money and Nadia had no clue where all that money went. Sure, she also loves to spend money here and there, but it has never been so bad that she didn’t have what to eat the next morning.

“MC…” she started talking, knowing she couldn’t dismiss the topic any further,” You can’t just spend so much of your money…”

MC stared at her for a moment, surprised by her remark. They looked down for a moment, then started speaking in an annoyed tone: “Nadi, please, I can do whatever I want! It’s my money, after all.”

That sort of rude reply took Nadia back. It didn’t sound like MC at all. It reminded Nadia of a person she would never want to think about again – Lucio.

“I never said you couldn’t,” she responded with the same tone as MC,” I just said that you should ration it. For God’s sake, act like an adult.”

MC looked at her with sadness in their eyes as they opened their mouth, wanting to ask something, however, they decided not to. Instead, they stood up, walking out of the palace, silently saying their goodbyes.

Nadia watched them leave in frustration. Once they were out of sight she took a deep breath, returning to her rooms, going to sleep.

In the morning, as she was having breakfast, a certain man demanded to see her. She has never seen him before, but by the looks of his expensive clothes, they are here business-wise.

He sat in front of her, wishing her a good morning, then asked what he came here for, “Do you know anything about MC’s whereabouts?”

She nearly spits the food out of her mouth upon hearing MC’s name. What does this man have to do with them? “I, I do, they live in the shop-”

“I went there, they’re not home,” he interrupted her mid-sentence, growing impatient.

“But why do you ask?”

“They’re in big debt,” they simply stated as he took the cat hair off his suit.

“Debt?!?” she asked, furious. MC’s gone too far,” How?”

“I’m not sure, it’s not in my interest,” he admitted with no shame,” But it has something to do with their brother’s medicine. I don’t know, but neither do I care.”

She stopped for a moment to think about it all. MC did mention how their brother hasn’t been feeling well, but they never told her about this. It seems like she figured out where all that money went.

“How much do they owe you?” she asked after a moment of silence.

He chuckled, “A lot.”

“I’ll pay.” She simply stated.

He looked at her, surprised, but upon remembering that she indeed is the Countess, he accepted the offer. As soon as he got all of the money, he simply left, wishing her the best.

Nadia thought for a moment about the whole situation. Why didn’t MC tell her anything? They knew that she could just pay it all off. Yet, they still wanted to do it all themselves, suffering in the process. God, why are they so… so destructive to themselves. Do they enjoy seeing themselves suffer?

Over time, seeing how MC still didn’t come back to their shop, her feeling of anger turned into worry. What if they did something to themselves because of the money? What if they turned to theft? No, MC would never do that, would they? Every day she came up with new scenarios of what MC could have done just to get their hands on the money, neither one of them looking good.

However, as soon as she saw MC after a couple of weeks walking in the Palace hallways, the anger Nadia felt returned.

“MC it seems that you have forgotten something,” she said, not even bothering to ask them where they were.

They looked down to their feet, feeling ashamed. “I, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

She stared at them for a moment, trying to think of what they meant. Oh, right, they thought she was still angry at their rude remark.

“No, I didn’t mean that, though I do appreciate the apology,” she admitted,” I meant that we are a team and you should have told me your problems. You know I could have always paid for your brother’s needs.”  
They stared at her, surprised, “But… how do you know?”

“That’s unimportant right now,” she shrugged it off, still angry,” Just know that I paid off all of your debts.”

“You did?” they asked with small tears forming in the corner of their eyes. They gave her a tight hug, burying their head in her hair,” Thank you so, so much. I’ll give you the money back, I swear.”

As soon as they hugged her, everything she wanted to tell them was forgotten. All that mattered right now is that MC is back.

“No need.”

**Portia**

Portia stormed into MC's shop, walking upstairs where they found MC happily folding their clothes. Usually, she would offer to help them, however, they were not in the mood to even see MC, let alone confront them, "MC, what the fuck did you do?" she asked, disappointed with tears forming in her eyes.

"I, I-" they turned, surprised, not expecting to see Portia here.

"Do you know what it's like to be asked by the other maids when my brother is going to get hung?" she brushed her tears off, "Why would you do this?"

"I thought it would be good if you just, let it all get off your chest."

"You _thought_ it would be a good idea?!? Do you know what could happen to Ilya because you _thought_ this was a smart idea?" she started sobbing in frustration, not being able to get a breath, "What if, what if they find him and, and…"

MC tried to comfort Portia. They tried to gently put their hand on her shoulder, to talk it out.

"Don't touch me!” she shoved their hand away, ”You, you've ruined my life, you've put my brother in danger and, and you don't feel any guilt. Get out of my sight. I have to deal with the mess you've made. Did you not understand? I said _now_."

She looked at their hurt face, then at her surroundings. Right, she was in their shop. With a deep breath, she stormed out, preparing herself for confronting the Countess. She went back into her home, petting Pepi as she thought about it all. What will happen to Julian? Will Nadia force Portia to tell her about his whereabouts. If only she knew where he was, she could warn him, tell him to go far away from Vesuvia, but she can’t.

"Portia, are you alright my dear?" Nadia asked as she walked in.

She looked at Nadia, trying to think of something, _anything_ she could tell her.

"I suppose you already know that MC has informed me about everything," she broke the silence as she let Pepi play with her hair.

"Countess,” she started to explain herself, fidgeting with her fingers,” I can explain-"

"No need,” she said with a smile as she took Portia’s hands, trying to soothe her,” I already had my suspicions a long time ago."

"You, you did?" she asked, surprised.

"Slippery hands?” she added, repeating the words Portia told her when she tried to hide her brother,” I'm not angry, I completely understand why you did it, “ she let go of Portia’s hands, taking a glance at the scenery outside, ”But I have to let you know that I can't guarantee what might happen to your brother. He'll face a trial and if people proclaim him innocent he'll-"

"He'll live?” she asked with hope in her eyes. Once Nadia gave her a reassuring nod, she hugged her,” I, thank you, thank you so much. I couldn’t have asked for more. You've really” her smile faded, remembering the words MC told her,”...lifted a weight off my chest."

After Nadia left, Portia went outside, going back into the shop.

"MC,” she called out, however, the only person that was in the shop was Asra,” Oh, hi Asra, is MC home?"

They shrugged, "No, they've just left. The two of you must have crossed paths."

She looked down, feeling guilt, "Where did they go?"

"I don't know, they just said they might be away for a few days."

“Few days,” she repeated, feeling guilt devour her, "I, I see... Thank you for telling me that." she said her goodbyes, going back to her cottage. As soon as she entered, Pepi gently meowed, sitting right in front of her. Right, she should feed Pepi. Might as well make a lunch. She would usually eat with MC, talking about all of the juicy gossips in the palace. She was an asshole to them. What if they went away, not thinking about returning? It’s all her fault. She could have just thought a bit more about it, or if she went straight to Nadia, none of this would have ever happened!

A week flew by with Portia being occupied with work, only visiting the shop in the evenings to check whether or not MC has returned. She knew that Asra said MC will be away for a couple of days, but there was still little hope in her that they’ll return soon. The thought of MC going away because of her was eating her up, but she couldn’t do anything about it. She knew she was in the wrong. After she returned from the shop, once again, she took off her shoes, going into her small living room, only to be greeted by the sight of MC gently petting Pepi. They turned their head to Portia, then lowered their gaze. 

"Look, Portia,” they walked to her, wanting to gently put their hand on her shoulder, but they stopped, remembering what happened last time, ”I'm so sorry. I didn't know how much that could-"

“Shush,” she told them as she gave them a big hug, rubbing their back, "Why are you the one apologising if it's supposed to be the other way around? I was so terrible to you, even though you helped me out, a lot."

“You, you’re not mad anymore?” they asked, hopeful, “What will happen to Julian?”

“He’ll face a trial,” she said, with a bit of fear in her voice, “But if they proclaim him innocent, everything will be fine!”

“Then, shouldn’t we look further into it? To make sure that he is innocent?”

She smiled, happy that everything is returning to its place, “Yeah, we should.”

**Muriel**

Muriel had done feeding the chickens just before MC crept behind them, jumping as they tried to put on a flower crown they made for him. He twitched in surprise, touching the flower crowns filled with forget-me-nots.

"I have just found a whole field filled with these," they said with a smile plastered on their face.

He smiled, gently petting MC, “Did you finish the business you had to do in the palace?”

They nodded, smiling, “Oh yes, the plans are done. It’s not the most perfect, Lucio told me that, but he’ll try his best to-”

"You, you've seen Lucio," Muriel repeated, shocked, "Why would you do that?"

"Well, the thing is,” they started explaining,” I helped him with something last week-"

"You've helped him?!?” he repeated once again, taking a step back, ”Last week! Are you, you can't be..." he stared at MC, feeling his eyes getting watery, "You're friends with him?"

"Yeah,” they nodded, ”Don’t worry, we're just friends."

"That's too much,” he frowned, looking at MC with sadness, ”Don't you know what he did to the whole Vesuvia, to Asra, to me?" He asked MC with desperation in his eyes.

"I, I know, it's just that-"

"It's just what?" he cut them off.

"He is trying to change, he is trying to fix all of his mistakes." They wanted to continue explaining, but Muriel stopped them.

"Nonsense. Someone like him could never change."

"Just give him a chance,” they continued, trying their best to explain,” Wouldn't you want to be forgiven if you truly regretted-"

"You still don't get it...” he sighed, feeling like he has no more nerves to talk about all of this, ” If Lucio meant so much to you, then go to him. Just don't return here."

They looked at him, feeling broken, "Muriel, it's not like that, you know it."

"I clearly don't," he said as he went back into his hut, making sure MC doesn’t follow them.

After closing the door after himself, he took a glance at his surroundings. Inanna has just waken up from her nap. She got out of her soft blanket, gently walking to Muriel, then looking behind him.

“MC’s not here,” he simply explained, trying his best to suppress the feeling of sadness. He looked at Inanna who looked just as sad as him, “I don’t know when they’ll return, or if they’ll return…”

Upon hearing that, Inanna whined, taking a glance at MC’s shirt that she accidentally tore yesterday.

“No, no, it’s not your fault,” he patted her behind the ear as he walked to the chair, picking up MC’s shirt, “It’s… something between the two of us.”

Inanna stared at him for a moment, looking disappointed, then went back to her corner to nap, leaving Muriel on his own. He took the flower crown off his head, wanting to throw it in the fire, but he just couldn’t bring himself to. It’s not that he’s angry at MC, they’re just… disappointed. After a moment of debating, he decided to ask Asra for advice. He left the forest, slowly walking in the town, trying his best to avoid people. After a while, Asra’s shop was in sight. He quickened his pace, going inside without knocking.

"Asra, have you seen MC?" he asked straight away, not bothering to greet them.

"No,” they shrugged, a bit surprised by such question, ”Why, did something happen?"

He looked to the side as if he was ashamed to admit it, "They're friends with Lucio, and we argued because of it."

"Oh, you also argued with them?" they stared at Muriel's surprised face, continuing, "When I found out I also gave them a piece of my mind, but later on I...” they stopped for a moment, picking Faust up on the counter, ” Acknowledged that he is trying to change,” Muriel wanted to say something, but Asra stopped him,” Don't get me wrong, I still hate him, but at least he is trying."

He stared at them in disbelief, but decided to change the topic, "Do you think they went to him?” he started as he imagined one of the worst scenarios, ”What if, what if they-"

"Don't be like that,” they reassured him,” Why don't you go to the palace and check yourself?"

"And see him?” he looked at Asra, frowning, ”No."

"But MC might be there, “they insisted, ”Besides, don't you think you should have paid a visit to Nadia?"  
After giving it all a bit more thought, he sighed in defeat, heading to the palace. Portia let him in as soon as she saw him, walking along with him in the broad palace hallway.

"Good evening Muriel,” Nadia smiled as soon as she saw him,” It's certainly a pleasant surprise to see you here."

"Good evening Nadia,“ he responded in the same manner, looking down, ”Sorry for bothering you this late."

"Nonsense, it's always a pleasure to have such good company around."

"Noddy, who is- oh hi Scourge," he took a glance at Nadia's death glare, immediately correcting himself, "Er, I mean," he stared at Nadia who mouthed Muriel's name, "Muriel, yes, Muriel."

Muriel just rolled his eyes, not saying a thing.

"So, um, how are you?"

"Since when have you cared?" he frowned, looking at him, then at Nadia, realising that he may have been too cold, "I'm fine."

Lucio stood there for a moment, watching Nadia leave the room, "So, how is MC? The two of you are together, right?"

From his talk, Muriel realised that MC isn't in the palace, "They're doing fine."

He nodded awkwardly, looking to the side, “Great. That’s great,” he stopped for a moment, feeling the air stiffen around him. With a deep breath, he said, “Look, I, I made some oopsies.”

“You think?”

“I, I know. I’m trying to, to make it right. The coliseum won’t be used for the battles ever again. I have been thinking about-”

Muriel stared at Lucio, trying to hide this shock. He wasn’t used to Lucio showing any kind of empathy for anyone other than his dogs. Luckily enough, Lucio didn’t seem to notice as he spent a couple of hours rambling about all of the changes and the flooded district and whatnot, but Muriel didn’t care. He was thinking more about how much more _bearable_ Lucio seems to be. After Nadia joined in the conversation, Muriel felt more comfortable, he even started a few topics himself, however, MC just couldn’t help but linger on their mind.

He left, going back to his hut with a faint hope that MC would be back, but they were nowhere in sight. With every passing day, he became more worried, replaying the argument the two of them had in his head. What if MC listens and goes to Lucio? Why wouldn’t they? Lucio and they seem to be close and, let’s be real, Muriel can’t even compare to a Count… It seemed that the more he thought about it, the worse it all seemed. He was lamenting in his problems that he didn’t even notice how Inanna was gone for a while.

After a couple of minutes spent looking for her, he found the wolf dragging MC along with her. As soon as they saw him, they dropped their head, not knowing what to say.

“MC… “ Muriel decided to break the silence, hating to admit it, ”I…overreacted…”

“Please, I was the one in the wrong,” MC said, softly petting Inanna, ” I completely forgot about your feelings. I’ll cut the ties with Lucio.”

“You, you don’t have to… just, don’t let him use you…” he added as he held their hand, slowly leading them back into the hut, knowing all is well.

**Lucio**

“Look at them Volta, they’ve been talking with Valerius for an hour!” Lucio said as he walked in the hallway, looking at how MC and Valerius happily chat.

“It seems like they are having fun,” she admitted as she ate cherries, not bothering to spit out the pits.

“No, no, that’s terrible!” he told Volta,” What do they think they’re doing with him, look, look how they smile,” he gestured to MC,” Ugh, it’s driving me insane.”

“Maybe they are just having a fun chat,” she said, continuing with her little snack.

“A fun chat!” he repeated, devastated,” Ugh, why did I even bother to talk with you,” as soon as he saw Volta’s eyes water at his comment, he continued,” No, no, please don’t cry, I, I just have to settle this on my own,” he stopped midtrack, wanting to go to MC to settle it all out, however, he didn’t want to hurt his fragile ego publicly,” Do you know how to write?” he asked out of nowhere.

“Mhm.”

“Great,” he clapped his hands in joy,” Could you write me a letter. Please?”

She looked to the side, pretending like she is in deep thought, “Volta doesn’t know if she could. She is quite busy…”

“I’ll order baker to make you three cheesecakes.”

“You son of a bitch, I’m in.”

He smiled happily as he led her in the library. As soon as he gave her some paper, ink and a pen, he started: “Okay, so, write it like this. MC.”

“Shouldn’t it be dear MC?” she asked.

After giving it a bit more thought, he shrugged, “Just MC.”

Once he saw Volta write that down, he took a deep breath and continued: “Why do you give so much damn about Valerius all of a sudden?!? Did you forget about how much you gossiped about him last week? What’s with all of the friendliness all of a sudden? Do you need anything? Am I not enough? Look, I love you, but sometimes, you’re just… driving me insane! Why do you pour wine for him, you’re not his slave! Stop giving so much damn about him… Look, I know, he is a Consul and all that, and you have the right to be friends with whoever you want, but not with him… Ugh… I’m just… so pissed! You don’t give a damn about my feelings! You can be friends, but that is way too fucking close for friends to act! You can’t give me any, any excuse for that!”

He took the letter from Volta who complained about how her hand went numb from all of the writing. Upon reading a couple of words here and there he was quite happy with the outcome. He thanked Volta, ordered one of the servants to take the letter to MC’s shop. After that, he went downstairs, looking for a baker, ordering him to make Volta three cheesecakes. And then he proudly went into his chamber, only to find a well-wrapped present. They took the card that was next to it, taking an embarrassing amount of time to read it.

_‘I wanted to give you a little surprise.  
Hope you like it,  
MC’_

“What’s this?” he asked himself, confused, as he unwrapped the gift, revealing a beautiful velvet cape. He was so confused that he went to Valerius, asking for an explanation.

“MC asked me for advice on what they should buy for your anniversary. They just left as they gave me a gift for helping them choose,” he said as he happily held the bottle of expensive wine. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was quite surprised how a mere witch could afford such expensive gifts.

“They, they did that…” he trailed off, feeling guilt for sending them the letter,” And where are they now?”

“How am I supposed to know that?” he said as he sipped his wine, signalling that the conversation is over.

Lucio left Valerius, trying to think about anyone who could know where MC is. Right, Asra would know! He took the carriage, heading off to the shop.

“Asra,” he said as he entered the shop,” Do you know where MC is?”

They lifted their head, looking at him, frowning, then going back to writing, “No.”

“You know where they are,” he said, annoyed,” You just don’t want to tell me!”

Asra just shrugged to that comment, not lifting their eyes off the book, “Perhaps.”

“Come on, tell me, tell me, please,” he begged.

“Let me think for a moment…” they put the pen down, resting their head on the hand, pretending like they are deep in thought. After a moment, they looked at him, saying with a smirk,” No.”

“Why not?!?” he protested,” If Noddy asked, you would have told her right away!”

“Yeah.” They admitted with no shame, giggling like a little girl.

“Don’t be so… calm about this!” he said as he walked back and forth,” What if MC is in danger? Who knows where they might be?”

“I know,” they blatantly said, enjoying the scene.

“You’re so… so… “he raised his artificial hand, feeling his face getting redder and redder, ”Ugh!”

“Alright, I’ll tell you where they are, so listen closely,” they said as they put the pen down, waiting for Lucio to lean closer,” The truth is that…” they stopped for a moment, enjoying Lucio’s suspense, then continuing,” I have no clue where they are.”

“WHAT?!?”

“I don’t know where they are,” Asra repeated, laughing,” They just told me they’re travelling.”

“When will they be back?” he asked, worried.

“I don’t know. They weren’t sure themselves.” They admitted.

“Well, thanks for nothing!” he said as he left the shop.

“Always!”

Well, this was a waste of time… He went back to the palace, letting his thoughts eat him out. If they didn’t tell anything to Asra, then they must be angry at him. Why couldn’t he just ask them directly about it? If he did that, none of this would have happened. What if they don’t return? What if he never sees them again? He just couldn’t bear the thought of it.

Most of the time he spent inside of his chambers, only going outside if it was necessary. Once he thought he got over it. He wanted to go outside, he even put on his makeup, however, as soon as he went through his wardrobe, the sight of MC’s cape crushed that will. And so, he continued to spend the time in his chambers, until he saw MC walk inside.

“MC, oh my dearest MC,” he said as he hugged them, careful not to hurt them with their golden hand,” I… I acted on impulse,” he admitted sheepishly,” I should have asked you about it, instead of assuming the worst.”

“What do you mean?” they asked as they hugged him back.

“I mean, I shouldn’t have sent you that letter,” he admitted.

“What letter?” they asked, turning their head to him.

“I… you didn’t read it? Oh…” he chuckled nervously, “Well, just don’t read it. Trust me.”

“Okay,” they said with a frown, then changing the topic, ”Did you like the cape I bought you?”

“Oh, yes, I loved it. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much,” he said as he lifted them in the air, giving them a big, tight hug. It was at that moment that he realized he didn’t buy them anything. Shit.

**Volta**

It was early morning and Volta was excited about everything that is supposed to come today! Let's be real, she was excited about the food. She quickly got out of her bed, rushing downstairs like a little kid. She happily greeted MC, remembering their promise from yesterday.

"Did you make Volta breakfast?" she asked, her eyes gleaming.

They pat her head, putting another tray of food in front of her, "Of course I did," they said as they organized the table, trying to make it look better, "Hope you'll like it."

She didn't wait a moment, devouring the food in front of her. After every bite, she would praise the food. True, sometimes, she could taste egg shells, and some foods were a bit too salty, but she didn't have the heart to tell MC. It was only once she got to the sweets that she tasted something _odd_. The taste was horrible, however, she didn't say anything, at first, then, it hit her. The food was poisoned.

Of course, poison couldn't do anything to her, but still, it hurt her that MC would do something like that.

"What's wrong?" MC asked her, "Do you not like the food?"

She gently brushed off the tears that were forming in her eyes, "No, no, the food is great and Volta appreciates it, but," she couldn't get the words out because of the constant sobs, "But why would you do this to me?"

"What did I do?" they asked as they tried to confront Volta.

She jerked away from them, waving them off, "Please don't disturb Volta. Who knows what else you might do..."

"But I, I don't understand," they moved away from Volta, giving her some space, "What _did_ I **do**?"

"You, you," she looked at them, but couldn't find the right words, "Just, just please leave Volta alone, please."

They just stared at her, not knowing what to say. Realizing that continuing with the argument won't do much good, they walked out, adding, "I'm going to travel - "

"Volta doesn't care," she said bitterly, not having the strength to look at them in the eyes.

MC stood in front of the doors, waiting to see if Volta wants to say anything else. Once they realised that she said everything she wanted to say, they left, apologising for anything they've done. Once she couldn't feel their presence in her mansion, she stood up, not even feeling like finishing all of the food. She flopped herself on the bed, trying to think why MC would have done something like that to her. Didn't they love her? She started to bite her nails at the thought. Does MC also care about Volta's position? But, aren't there better courtier positions than hers? She's pretty sure Valerius has a higher position than her, or maybe he doesn't, she didn't know, nor did she ever care about that anyway. Most of her life she only cared about the food, and then MC came to her life and after all these years, they just, they shattered her trust like that!

"Procurator," her head chef walked in, "My apologies for disturbing you," he said as he tied his hair into a ponytail, "Your first lunch is ready."

She quickly wiped off tears, hopping out of the bed, "Did you throw away the food from the breakfast?" she asked, leaving her room.

"Yes," he nodded, walking right behind her, "Maids did it not too long ago."

She didn't say anything, just nodded as she sat in her chair, being in this same position just this morning, doing the same thing - devouring an inhumane amount of food. This time, she couldn't feel eggshells crunch in her mouth, after all, even the worst chefs could be turned into professionals due to the amount of food they'd have to make for Volta every day. Just before she was about to eat her third roasted chicken, she noticed an odd liquid drooling down the wing. She gently removed that wing from the chicken, putting just a little bit into her mouth. Sure enough, the chicken had a familiar bitter taste of the poison she had eaten this morning.

But, MC hasn't been in her mansion since the morning. The realization hit Volta as tears started to form in her eyes once again. She made a terrible mistake. Immediately, the memory of this morning flooded her mind, the picture of MC's gloomy expression being the strongest one.

"Is something the matter with the food?" a maid asked, leaning on her side.

“Dear, let’s make a deal,” she said, trying her best to be serious for a moment, “Someone poisoned the food. Find the culprit and Volta will pay you generously.”

At such offer the maid couldn’t do anything but to accept, getting to business right away.  
Now that thing was out of the way, she had to go and apologize to MC. She quickly went into her carriage, twitching in her seat, trying to think about how she'll apologise. Does she start explaining what went on first? No, no, then MC will wonder how Volta didn't die; that can't do! Then Volta will have to admit that she is a demon, and she can't think of how MC would react. Oh, this can't do, it just can't! She is already in front of their shop and she has no clue what to do! She sheepishly got out of the carriage, standing in front of their shop, quickly knocking. She waited for a moment, trying to hear their footsteps going down the stairs, however, she couldn't hear any of that.

She nervously bit her nails, wondering where MC went. She knocked again, this time a bit more forcefully, calling out for MC. Nothing. She got even more nervous, knocking again and again, walking back and forth, waiting for any kind of response. Was MC not responding on purpose?

In all her worry, she accidentally broke a vase. Oh no, that was one of MC's favourite plants! She quickly picked up what was left of the plant, wanting to put it in another vase. Sure, she has never done that before, but she saw MC do it, so it's not that difficult, right?

She gently picked up what was left of the plant, trying not to ruin it any further, when she noticed a key shining in the light. Oh, MC did mention something about having a secret key! In one hand she held the plant and they key in the other, unlocking the doors.

"MC," Volta called out, "MC, Volta, Volta is so sorry," her eyes became glossy, however, as she looked in every room for MC she realised they were not there. She was all alone. For a moment, she kept herself together, however, as soon as she put the plant in some vase she burst into tears. MC left and who knows if they'll come back. What if they return and they are still mad at Volta? They'd have full right to be mad! Volta was terrible, terrible to them...

"Sir, are you here?" Volta's maid asked as they walked into the shop, seeing her boos on the ground, crying.

"What is it?" she asked through tears.

"I um, wanted to inform you that I've found the culprit. He was taken by the guards."

"Good."

"Also, cooks have prepared your three dinners. Let's return before the food gets cold."

Volta looked at her maid, then at the shop. She'll come back tomorrow and every day after that. For now, she decided that it would be for the best if she went home.

Days have passed and MC still wasn't back. At this point, Volta was sure MC had left her for good. Once coming with this realization, she couldn't cry, she already cried so much that there were no more tears that she could shed. She sat in MC's room, alone. With her hair buried in MC's pillow, she felt tears returning to her eyes and thus, she continued another crying session.

"Volta," MC called out to her as they took their shoes off, "What are you doing here?"

She quickly raised her head, her watery eyes finally taking a look at MC she missed so much, "MC," she burst into more tears as she ran to them.

"Volta is so sorry, she didn't mean to," she said through her sobs, "Volta thought you were the one who poisoned her-"

"You were poisoned," MC wiped off her tears, "Are you alright?"

She buried her head into MC's chest, "Volta is fine but she missed you so, so much," she continued with her rambling as she rubbed their back, "Volta is so sorry, she didn't mean to."

"It's okay," MC pat her head, their fingers gently playing with her soft hair.

**Vlastomil**

Upon hearing that Vlastomil has had a rough week because he spent it away from his worms and doing the actual job as the Praetor, MC decided to give him a visit in his estate, bringing some food for his beloved worms.

"MC," he said, surprised when he saw them in front of his mansion, "What a pleasant surprise!" he moved to the side, letting them in.

He led them to the living room where Vlastomil's favourite girl was. "Oh, Wiggler is quite lively today!" he said as he gently scooped her, putting her on MC's lap. Vlastomil left, ordering some servants to make MC coffee while he went to check on his other beloved children. 

On the other side, MC was vibing with the worm, occasionally petting it. Once the maid brought them coffee, MC extended their hand to the cup, however, Wriggler bit them. They screamed in pain, pushing the worm away from them.

"Why did you hit Wriggler," Vlastomil screeched as he saw his poor dear on the floor, "What is wrong with you?!?"

"What do you mean?!? That fucker bit me!" they said, showing Vlastomil their bloody hand.

"That still doesn't mean you get to hit them! Why would you do that to my poor, poor, baby Wriggler! You monster!" he shouted, tears forming in his eyes.

"You, you're more worried about a fucking worm than me!" MC shouted back, standing up, sighing, "I have to go and find some bandages because of what your _little angel_ did to me. Bye."

He didn't say anything to MC, focusing all of his attention to the worm. He gently picked her up, giving her words of reassurance that everything is fine and that MC won't hurt them ever again! Once he was sure that his baby wasn't hurt, he gently put her on the sofa specifically made for her and went looking for her favourite toys. His poor little angel is hurt and stressed and he needed to fix that. 

The next week Vlastomil focused all of his attention to the worms, especially the poor Wriggler, who was still 'recovering from the trauma'.

That day he spent his time cleaning Wiggler's room, trying to get MC out of his head. Even though they were the one who hurt Wiggler, Vlastomil couldn't help but feel pity for them. He decided to push the thought aside, focusing on readjusting Wiggler's favourite pillows. Gently as always, he took the worm into his hands, however, Wiggler responded to that by biting him.

He twitched, staring at his beloved pet who still had its teeth deeply buried in his arm. Of course, the bite didn't hurt him, however, such an act broke his heart. "Wriggler?" he asked her as he tried to move it away from him, "Why?"

The little slimy worm took out its bloody teeth and everything became clear to Vlastomil. One of its poor teeth was rotting! He quickly called for the doctor who was in charge of taking care of his children, explaining the problem. The doctor said that the tooth will have to be removed, however, his face turned pale once he saw Vlastomil's hand. They quickly took some bandages and disinfectants, treating Vlastomil's wound. He stared at the wound, remembering that MC’s hand looked the same. Oh, MC! Poor MC! Their hand was in a worse state and nobody helped them... He stared at his cold blood dripping down, reminding it of how MC desperately held their hand, trying to put some pressure on the wound.

And how their eyes stared at him when he shouted at them! They were angry but had a hint of sadness at the same time. He was so, so rude to them. They couldn't even explain themselves as Vlastomil shouted.

He quickly went to MC's shop, ready to ask them to forgive him, but, as soon as he was in front of the shop, he didn't feel MC's presence at all. Did they die because of the wound?!?

He quickly opened the door, unable to find MC anywhere. He was devastated, going to the palace, asking Nadia if she knew anything about it, he even asked that pesky magician with whom MC was close, but nobody knew.

For the first time in decades, he was scared, but not for his safety. He was scared by the thought of what might happen to MC, the image of them lying on the cold, dirty ground, still bleeding from the wound. He would have drowned in his misery and imagination more if one of the maids hasn't approached him.

"Um, sir," she started, "I know what happened to MC."

He jerked his head to her, staring directly in her soul, "Then why haven't you said anything?!?"

She silently gulped, ready to get fired, "Well, you were angry at MC and I assumed you didn't want to associate with them until recently."

"Let go of that!" he stopped her, feeling guilt from remembering how rude he was to them, "Where are they?"

"After I treated their bite wound I requested them going to Nevivon so that they could get better treatment."

"Nevivon?!? Why all the way there???"

"Well-"

"Oh, let go of that now. I need to go there, I need to find a ship and, what else do I need?"

"Maybe a person who knows how to manoeuvre it?" she suggested.

"Yes, yes," Vlastomil nodded, "I'll get to it right away!"

He walked to the Vesuvia's port, looking for a ship. His footsteps were inaudible in the noise from all of the tourists. Amongst that crowd, he noticed a familiar face.

"MC!" he walked to them, giving them a big, tight hug, "My dear, are you alright?" he asked as he grabbed their bandaged arm, "Does it still hurt?"

"Only when I carry heavy things," they simply responded.

As soon as he heard that, he grabbed their backpack, carrying it for them, "MC I'm so, sorry. It was never your fault. Wiggler had a rotting tooth."

"Is she better?" they asked a bit coldly.

"Yes, yes, but that matter aside, are _you_ better?"

MC was surprised by the question. They looked at him, a small smile forming on their lips, "I will be."

**Vulgora**

Vulgora has been proudly walking in their mansion, as one does, taking a hateful glance at all of their war trophies. They were pissed and unfortunately, their staff realized this, too, thus they didn’t have anyone to whom they could vent out. By venting, of course, they meant shouting and threatening to take the poor person’s life. It seemed that their prayers for finding a victim have finally been heard. Some noise came out of their favourite room in the whole mansion- the room where they kept all of their dear weapons. It didn’t take them long to realize MC was in the room, doing God knows what.

“Yo, MC, what’s with the noise?” they asked as they went into the room, shocked, ” What the fuck?!?” they stared at their favourite weapon, at the axe they considered their child, broken into half.

“I, I’m sorry…” MC started explaining themselves as they picked up what remained of the weapons, ” I didn’t mean it, I, I know a spell-”

“Get your filthy hands off of it!” they said as they took the remaining pieces away, holding them like a newborn child, ”This baby has killed more people than you’ve seen and you, you’ve just,” they couldn’t bring themselves to shout at MC, so they just whispered in frustration, “Stupid magician.”

“Vulgora,” MC said, feeling a bit frustrated themselves, ”You break the things all the time and I’m the one who always fixes it. So just let me-”

“NO,” they responded, persistent as always. They don’t care how unreasonable they may sound, this is an opportunity to vent all of their anger.

“God, why are you so stubborn?” MC finally said, snapping.

“Because, because, I don’t know,” Vulgora responded with a tone of sarcasm, putting their index finger on their temples, pretending to think, ”You broke my weapon?!?”

“But, but, you break your weapons all the time. Hell, you even come to me so that I could fix it!”

“This time, it’s different!” they insisted.

MC stared at them in annoyance, “Is it because I’m the one who broke it this time?”

“YES!”

“I… I don’t have the time nor nerves to continue with this,” they said as they moved past Vulgora.

“What do you mean?!?” they said as they walked to them, ”GET BACK!”

“See you next week,” MC finally responded as they moved their hands gently in the air, chanting something. 

Just as they finished, purple smoke surrounded them and it seemed that as soon as the smoke disappeared, MC did as well. Vulgora stared in shock, walking forward, then opening the doors next to them, looking for MC.

“MC… MC!!!” they shouted, looking for them, ”Ugh…” they groaned in annoyance as they walked back into the room, looking at their axe once again. Maybe, just maybe, though they would never admit it, they overreacted. They wanted to change the handle anyway, and the blade doesn’t seem to be damaged at all… BUT MC STILL BROKE IT. Who are they kidding, they’re not mad anymore. They had their share of anger and now they have to face the consequences.

With a bow and a sword in their hands, they prepared for the hunt. It was a little habit of theirs that they considered being ‘spiritually healing’ for them. If they can’t spill the guts of people then they’ll settle with hunting animals. And just like that, the whole evening flew by and it seemed that they calmed down a bit. They returned to their mansion with enough dead animals to serve for five hungry people, or as a snack for Volta.

MC was nowhere in sight. They got all of their frustration back once the staff said how they didn’t see the magician either. The whole situation didn’t sit well for Vulgora, so they headed to Asra’s shop, looking for MC.

“HEY MAGICIAN!” they said as they entered the shop.

Asra shook in surprise, staring at the Pontifex, “We’re closed for today-”

“Where’s MC?” they asked, impatient.

“I don’t know.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T KNOW?!?”

“I mean,” Asra stared at them, not knowing what to say, “That I don’t know where MC is.”

“How do you not know?!? The two of you live together!”

“How do _you_ not know?” they responded, a bit annoyed, “The two of you _are_ together.”

Vulgora stared at them with their eyes wide open. They didn’t move, instead, they used all of their will to stop the urge to rip Asra to shreds for such a comment. They silently left, however, as soon as they closed the door behind them, they shouted a rather detailed description of what they’d love to do to Asra, not knowing that Asra can hear them very well in the shop. 

Once they were sure that pontifex left, they locked the doors, putting on the protection trinkets on the doors, as well as on all of the windows. With that, Asra could sleep well at night.

On the other hand, that’s not what Vulgora could do. They didn’t want to admit it, but they were worried. Not even Asra knew where they went. What if something happened to MC? They tried, but they couldn’t sense them anywhere in the Vesuvia. Did they die? No, if they did, Valdemar would have said something. Wait, didn’t MC said they would see them next week? Oh, so that’s it, they need some time for themselves. Vulgora understood that they did that all the time. It is only once the whole week has passed that they started to get worried. MC said it was supposed to be away for a week, so where _the fuck_ are they?!?

It was time to visit Asra once again. But then, just as they were about to open the door, they noticed that there was a sigil preventing them from entering.

“What’s this?!?” they asked themselves, staring at the doorknob, “MAGICIAN, EXPLAIN!!!” they shouted as they looked through the window, seeing Asra who held several protection trinkets. They stared at the magician in disbelief, shouting at them to let them in. Asra, however, kept on shrugging as they chanted some protection spells.

Several next days Vulgora spent either hunting or going back to the shop, demanding to be let in. Each and every time, Asra wouldn’t dare open the door, they only seemed to have more and more protection sigils each time Vulgora visited. On one occasion Vulgora carried the whole dead deer by its neck back to the Asra’s shop, telling them how this is what Asra will look like if they don’t let them in.

One day, as they were going to visit Asra once again, they sensed them. They sensed MC in no other place than their own mansion! They sprinted back, tackling MC.

“Aw, I missed you too Vulgora,” MC said as they turned, properly hugging Vulgora.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘I MISSED YOU TOO’?!?” they said, trying to sound annoyed, “I didn’t miss you,” they said determined, however, as soon as they saw MC’s sad face, they whispered a tad bit sheepishly, “Maybe a little bit.”

**Valerius**

Lucio’s party have always been a bit extra, and this one was no exception, however, what made it stand out from the rest was the amount of alcohol. Of course, like many, Valerius was enjoying that part the most, drinking only the most luxurious wine. By the time the party was done, the Consul had the same posture, however, by his talk you can say – he’s drunk as fuck.

Once he returned with MC to his estate, he started, "Say, witch..."

MC rolled their eyes as they led him into his mansion, "I thought we were over with that nickname."

He ignored the comment, asking them something that sober him would never do, "Are you just using me for getting yourself up in society?"

MC stared at him for a moment, shrugging, "Of course not,” they said as they moved a strand of hair out of his face, ”Don't tell me that's what you were worried about. Why would I even do that? You know I never gave a damn about that."

"Well, you sure do enjoy the company of the nobles..." he noted as MC helped him sit down at the edge of the bed. 

"Am I not allowed to?” MC asked, clearly annoyed,” I don't understand your point."

Valerius didn’t seem to be satisfied, so he repeated, more clearly in his opinion, "My point is that a talentless witch such as yourself could never get to this point on their own. So, you're enjoying the position that should have never been yours."

MC stared at him in shock. They didn’t know if they heard him correctly. Tears started to form in their eyes. They didn’t want to cry in front of him, but he was drunk anyway so who cares? Some quiet sobs first left their lips, then tears slid down their cheeks. That comment hurt them much more than they expected it to. It just seemed that once they started crying, they couldn’t stop.

“Stop crying,” he said in annoyance,” You only regret that you’re caught.”

“How, how can you be so rude…” MC finally said it after they calmed themselves down.

“I’m not rude, I’m just…” he stopped for a moment, trying to find the right word,” Honest.”

“Well then,” they said as they wiped the tears off, taking a deep breath,” Guess I’ll be honest as well,” they stood out of the bed, leaving. ”Fuck you, Consul.”

The rest of the night was a bit foggy to Consul. The only thing he remembered in the morning, after MC left, for a reason he couldn’t remember was a faint flame of a candle. He woke up with a painful headache. He searched through his sheets, trying his best to find MC, however, they weren’t there. 

“MC…” he softly called out, waiting for a response,” MC!” he called out once again, opening his eyes to look for them. Once he realized they weren’t beside him they got out of the bed, looking around his room.” MC, where are you?”

They walked out in the hallways, not even bothering to change, looking in each and every room for them. Once he saw the staff, he asked for some information.

“Um, they left last night,” the maid admitted.

“What,” he asked confused,” But why?” they recalled very well that MC was enjoying their time.

“You don’t remember?” she asked, tilting her head a bit to the side,” I, I don’t know exactly what happened,” she sheepishly admitted,” But I saw them leave, crying.”

“Crying?!?” he asked, worried. Even though he wanted to find answers, he knew that she didn’t know anything else. He said his thanks as he went back into his room, trying to remember something, anything that happened last night.

So he started recalling the moments before he started drinking. He entered the party, with MC besides them. The first thing they did was talk with some diplomats, then MC started talking about some casual topics, whether it was the weather or the muffins he couldn’t recall. Anyway, after those diplomats left God knows where a certain noble asked you for a dance. Valerius didn’t want to sound protective, so he was okay with it. That is until he noticed how the noble seemed to lean too close to MC, which made Valerius’ blood boil. He tried his best to calm down as he chugged down a whole glass of wine. Once MC returned, seemingly oblivious to it all enraged him, making him chug down another glass of wine. 

Then, several more glasses later, his memory started to get foggy, however, once he tried, he started to put some pieces together. They returned together, the two of them left in the same carriage. MC talked about how Valerius spilt a bit of wine on himself, or maybe they didn’t. Unimportant. Then, it took him a bit more time to remember what he did.

“Shit, what have I done…” he frowned as he buried his face in his hands.

He wanted to go to them, to apologize, but could he? What he said was so ignorant. He understood if MC wouldn’t want to associate with him again. God, did he have to talk about that? But maybe, just maybe, there is still a bit of hope left. Maybe they’ll return. Sure, they’d be pissed, but Valerius just wanted to see them. He wants to make it right. Then, MC should make the decision. 

Days have passed and he didn’t hear a word from them. Nothing, not even a letter. This was driving Valerius insane. He left his room, picking up a glass of wine, locking himself in his library, trying to take his mind off of everything. Of course, he would get out of the room from time to time… so that he could get a new bottle… It was during the one time he left his room that he saw MC being let in by one of the staff.

“MC…I, you’re back,” he said as he walked to them, giving them a longing hug, “Please, please don’t go,” he said as he buried his head in their hair,” I, I’m so sorry,” he whispered in their ear.

“It’s okay,” they reassured him as they rubbed his back, “You were drunk.”

“That doesn’t excuse my behaviour.”

MC softly smiled, kissing him on the forehead, “Let’s just get over it.”

**Valdemar**

Valdemar walked around Vesuvia, looking at all of the shops in the centre of the city with annoyance. Why does Vesuvia try to appease to tourists so much? They frowned in annoyance, trying to avoid even the smallest crowds of people. Their footsteps were fainter and fainter as they walked in the more abandoned streets, hearing a faint meow. They tilted their head, staring at an abandoned, dirty kitten barely standing on its feet. Once Valdemar was in front of it, the kitten stumbled as it walked to them, gently sniffing their legs. It meowed once again, gently bumping into Valdemar’s left leg, as if it were afraid of hurting them. Valdemar grinned from ear to ear at the sight. They gently picked up the cat, bringing it with them to the dungeon.

They knew that they couldn’t vivisect a dirty cat, so they gently picked it up, washing it. After the cat was cleaned, it happily meowed, licking Valdemar’s gloves. Valdemar however, didn’t appreciate the gesture, as they grabbed the cat as if it were some dirty, smelly rug, putting it onto the vivisection table, ready to get to the fun part.

They were cleaning their scalpel as they listened to the elevator rumble. Oh, MC is coming, even better! They could examine this fine specimen together.”Mc, put on the gloves, we’ll have some fun today~” they mused, cleaning another scalpel for MC.

“Oh, you found another dead animal?” they asked, giggling a bit uncomfortably.

“Even better,” they responded with excitement in their voice, “I found this thing, splendid, isn’t it?”

MC glanced at the vivisection table, expecting to see some dead animal, as they would always see, however, that wasn’t the case. A little kitten stared at MC, meowing happily, not knowing what awaits it. “Valdemar, what do you think you’re doing?” MC asked Valdemar in a cold tone, not taking their eyes off of the small ball of fur.

They stared at them, not seeing anything bad in their intention, “Preparing to vivisect this thing, of course.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Hm,” they tilted their head, “Why not?”

MC walked to the kitten, softly petting its head, “Because it’s alive. Would you go and vivisect a child?”

“Of course not,” they simply responded. After all, Valdemar is a quaestor, they knew very well that vivisecting people is highly frowned upon. But there is no harm in experimenting on the abandoned animal.

“Tell me where you found it,” MC gently picked the cat up, walking to the elevator, “I’ll leave it there and we’ll forget about this whole thing.”

“Absolutely not,” Valdemar walked behind them, not letting them leave, “I have already prepared everything for the vivisection.”

“You can’t be serious,” MC turned to them in disbelief, “I don’t give a fuck if it’s abandoned, you can’t do that. That’s morally wrong!”

“So what? It’s just a cat. Please Mc, stop being so dramatic over the smallest things. You’re starting to act like DR.069.”

“I’m the one being dramatic?” they repeated, not believing what they were hearing, “You’re unbelievable! You know what?” MC put the kitten in Valdemar’s hands, “Here, do whatever the fuck you want with it,” they stared at Valdemar, fury clear in their eyes, “But don’t come to me ever again if you kill this thing, or any other animal for that matter.”

They walked into the elevator, not even bothering to glance at Valdemar.

Valdemar was left alone, with a cat purring in their hands, gently nibbling on their fingers. What are they supposed to do with this now? The image of furious MC came to their mind. After a bit more thought Valdemar sighed and went inside the elevator. Once again, they were on the streets of Vesuvia, putting the cat back where they found it. They walked back to the dungeon but stopped midtrack once they felt something bump their foot. It was the cat who continued meowing, trying to find some food. Valdemar frowned at the sight of it. What a bother. If only they left it on the streets…

“Excuse me, sir, is that cat yours?”

Valdemar turned to the little girl, “You want it?”

She was surprised by the question, but she nodded slowly, “If I may…”

Valdemar picked the cat up, nearly throwing it in the girl’s hands, “It’s yours,” they quickly added as they walked as far away as they could, almost as if they thought the cat would follow them.

Now that thing is out of the way they walked back to their estate, waiting for MC to return. Sure, they argued, but it never got this serious. MC would always come at around this time, usually bringing tea with them, so that they could enjoy it with Valdemar. It was a little habit of theirs that Valdemar loved. Minutes turned into hours, but Valdemar didn't bother. MC's just a bit salty over it. They'll knock on the doors of Valdemar's mansion, telling them about how they thought about the whole thing, finding it irrational. They'll apologise, and Valdemar will do the same, they would admit that they acted immature on their side as well. So, in conclusion, MC's on their way here.

They'll be here. At any moment.

The sun began to lower, being replaced by the moon and countless stars, yet MC was nowhere in sight. This disturbed Valdemar more than they wanted to admit it. They'll have to visit MC, but not now. They knew that humans would sleep during the night and they didn't want to disturb MC by their sudden visit. So, they returned to their studies, writing some of their research about human behaviour.

Time flew by and it was time to visit MC. Once there, they noticed a sign on the door: Will return this Friday. They sighed, tearing the sign off the doors. MC should know better than to put such signs. What if someone were to break in? Valdemar took the extra key MC gave them and went inside the shop. They quickly noticed that something was off as they walked behind the counter, inside MC’s kitchen. Then it hit them – MC would usually be here, baking some goods. Now, there wasn’t anyone but Valdemar in here. They brushed the thought off, going upstairs, into MC’s bedroom. No, they weren’t here either. So, they went to travel? Valdemar thought as they sat on MC’s bed, grabbing one of the pillows, How long was their travel supposed to be? Three days?

Yes, three days, they thought, But, considering how mad MC was at them, the travel might be a bit longer. Oh well, be it three days, a week, or maybe a whole month, it doesn’t matter, because MC will come back.

Valdemar knew they had nothing to do in here anymore, so they left, locking the door after themselves. They came back three days later, in the early morning, knowing MC usually returns before the shop opens. They didn’t knock this time, they just unlocked the door, gently opening it.

“MC!” they looked around, however, the shop looked the same as three days ago, except that some of MC’s plants started to wilt. That can’t do. Valdemar went into the kitchen, taking a glass of water, pouring it onto the plants. No, that’s not right. They thought for a moment, remembering how MC would water below the plant, the soil.

After they’ve finished with that, they rearranged MC’s books in alphabetic order, something MC always promised they’d do, but never found the time to. Soon enough, Valdemar also finished with it. What could they do now? They would spend more of their precious time just thinking, had they not heard MC’s old clock ringing. It’s five already and MC is nowhere in sight… Oh well, this was expected, wasn’t it? They thought as they made themselves tea. They sat in MC’s room, watching the streets of Vesuvia. Was it always so crowded outside of MC’s shop? They must have never noticed. They guessed that MC never minded the crowd. After all, that’s great for business, no?

Once they’ve finally taken their eyes off of the crowd outside, they realised MC was not there. Instead, they were alone with the cold tea. They took the cup, gulping the whole thing in one go. Weird, it tasted better when MC made it. Probably because Valdemar hasn’t made anything in decades. They took the cup, washed it, put it back into the cupboard. Now what?

They pondered about what they could do until they heard the sound of keys rustling. Valdemar happily observed the doors, happy that they can finally see MC, only to be greeted by the sight of their bleeding arm. Once MC realized that Valdemar was in the room, they debated whether or not they should leave their own home.

“Mc, come here,” Valdemar gestured at Mc’s chair as they went to look for some bandages and disinfectants. It wasn’t long before Valdemar returned, “Seriously MC, you need to do something about this,” they added as they cleaned MC’s wound, “How did you get hurt this badly?”

They waited for a response, however, MC never gave it. Valdemar didn’t understand why they decided to give the silent treatment, some might say that they were even hurt by the gesture. Then, as they noticed MC’s improvised bandage on their leg, remembered, MC’s still mad at them.

“Some kid took the cat,” they simply stated as they unwrapped MC’s leg, “You didn’t disinfect this, did you?”

MC shrugged, whispering as they gently pat Valdemar’s cheek, “I’m glad you didn’t kill it.”

Valdemar stopped midtrack for a moment, appreciating the gentle touch that they longed for. After a moment they gently moved MC’s hand away, focusing again on treating the injuries.


	13. Hierophant meeting MC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was a request from Tumblr :)

And once again, MC is trying to perform the ritual. The light blue powder is thrown into the flame and they started to inhale the smoke. Once there were only ashes left of the powder, MC went to bed, lighting three blue candles. They closed their eyes, hoping that this time, they’ll get in contact with the Hierophant.

And, oddly enough, they found themselves in a vineyard. MC stared at the place in disbelief. Is this Hierophant’s realm? They walked amongst the grapevine, breathing in the familiar scent of brewed wine. Even though they didn’t know where they were, at least they felt better, knowing they’re not in any malicious realm. They continued walking until they caught the sight of some marble structure. The yellow grass rustled as a familiar figure walked to MC, “You never know when to give up, do you?”

MC turned to them, gasping in excitement, “It’s you!” they walked closer, trying not to offend the Arcana, “I’ve tried to contact you so many times-”

“I know,” he said as he examined the human in front of them, “You’re rather persistent. What is it you’re looking for?”

MC smiled and started explaining, “Well, I don’t know if every Arcana can do it,” they sheepishly admitted, “But, I want to find a cure for the red plague. Please, I’ll do anything!” they begged hierophant, “I just,” their eyes became watery, “I just can’t bear to look at dying people anymore!”

“They’re not the first, nor the last people who have died,” Hierophant responded coldly.

“Yes, but I, I can’t handle it!” MC insisted tearing up a bit. They quickly wiped off their tears, “I know that I can’t save everyone, but, I just hate looking at them, knowing that they’ll die and I won’t be able to do anything! Please, please help me find the cure.”

The Hierophant just stared at MC for a moment, trying to think it all through. He knew what awaits MC. So, the question is: will he blatantly tell MC that the cure isn’t something, but someone, or will he just tell MC to give up and enjoy their life while they can?

“Sir, please, I,” they sobbed, unable to find the right words, “No one has ever experienced anything like this. We’re all scared. I just, I don’t want to see any of my loved ones to die, yet, I have to bear the fact that my colleagues are dying in front of me. I, I could be the next one.”

Hierophant stared at them with pity. How sad, they don’t understand how close to the truth they are.

“I, I read in some books that I can make deals with the Arcana,” they stared at him directly in the eyes, “Do you, do you want that? Do you want me to make a deal? I don’t care what the price is, just,” they stopped for a moment, feeling Hierophant’s furry hand, ruffling their hair.

“You’ve cried enough for today, wouldn’t you agree?”

“You, you’ll help me?” they asked with hope in their eyes.

The hierophant only nodded, catching a glimpse of the grass in their realm turning red. They knew it was a warning and that they can’t do much about it. Together they went to the marble library. The room had its walls occupied with books from the ceiling to the floor.

“Just read some books you might think are useful for today. I’ll give you more accurate literature tomorrow.”

MC nodded, looking from one shelf to the other for the books they heard were useful. Some of the books were in a language they couldn't recognise, while others were so old they were barely readable. Of course, that didn't stop them, how could it? They won't let this chance slip just because some of the ink faded.

On the other hand, the Hierophant walked in his vineyard, as usual. This time, he noticed that some of the grass turned red, as well as the grapes near it. Without giving it more thought, he stomped on the hair of the grass, dragging his foot as he tore down the grapes with his claws. What does the devil want now? And this human, just approaching them out of nowhere, looking for a cure in the wrong place. He can’t just let them go, who knows what stupid idea they might get. Maybe they would even make a deal with the devil just to find the cure. That can’t do. Nothing seemed to go his way. What a bother. He can't even tell the human who is responsible or else who knows what the devil might do. Then, an idea hit him - sure, he can't say who is responsible, but he can imply it.

MC spent their time reading the books and, by the time they were done, they said their goodbyes to Hierophant, promising to return tomorrow. The next night they performed the same ritual, finding themselves in the same vineyard once again. As soon as they went into the marble library they found the Hierophant idly examining some of the books on the shelf.

“Here,” Hierophant said, gesturing to the table filled with various books, “These should help you get closer to the truth.”

“Thank you,” they said as they went to the desk and started reading. However, upon just reading the title, they realized that they’ve already read all of these books. That’s strange, all of these are fictional books. The story in every book is quite similar, with the main focus being a corrupt leader and people standing up against them. How did any of these have anything to do with the plague?

“Is something the matter?” Hierophant asked.

“These are not the books about… science, nor medicine. These are all-”

“Fiction?” Hierophant interrupted them.

“Yes.”

“Trust me,” he said as he ruffled MC’s hair,” These may not be the books you wanted, but these are the books you need.”

Every complaint that MC had up to that point was gone. Somehow, Hierophant’s words soothed them and as soon as they left, they went back to reading all of the books. Who knows, maybe there is a talk about some strange cure in one of these stories? They took some of the papers that were on the table, writing anything that seemed noteworthy.

The next time MC visited him, they asked: “Is it true that you can do anything in your realm?”

“Well, I don’t know what you mean by ‘ _anything_ ’, but my realm is much different from yours. It doesn’t bend to the rules of time and space that you are accustomed to,” he explained, “So I suppose that you can do things that are otherwise impossible in your realm.”

“I see… can I try?” after getting a small nod from Hierophant, they imagined a single page from one of the books in their shops. As soon as they closed their eyes, they felt it in their hands.

As soon as they opened their eyes, they showed Hierophant the paper, ”What do you think?”

Hierophant stared at the ugly drawing, then looked back at MC. For some reason, he didn’t want to offend the human, so he asked: “And what might this be?”

“This is a depiction of you from one of my books,” they said, trying to suppress laughter.

“ _What?_ ” he asked, mortified, as he snatched the sheet of paper out of MC hands, nearly tearing it. Is this how humans see him? What’s with the horns? Why do they look so… so shabby?!? And what’s with the fur? It looks so dirty and disgusting. He was deeply offended by this. The author should know that he takes extremely good care of it. Wait, why doesn’t he have any clothes in the drawing? **_D I S G U S T I N G_**

MC burst into laughter as they watched Hierophant’s mortified expression. After they’ve calmed down, they said: “That’s why I was so surprised when I saw you. You look much better in person!” they laughed it off, not noticing how touched Hierophant was from the comment.

After a moment, MC became more serious, “Sir, does the cure for the plague even exist?” they looked at Hierophant, waiting for an answer.

“It does,” he nodded,” However, it might be a tad bit… difficult to obtain.”

“So you know what the cure is?” they waited for a moment, then continued, “I know I might be asking much, but, could you please tell me what the cure is?”

Hierophant stared at MC for a moment, then at the grapes in the back that have started to turn blood red, “If I could, I would have told you already.”

They wanted to ask what was preventing them from just saying it, but decided not to. They’ll find a cure on their own. As soon as Hierophant went elsewhere MC went back into the marble library, picking up the notes they wrote the last time they were there, going back outside. They spent quite an amount of time attempting to make any type of potion or medicine that were described in the books.

Hierophant watched their attempts in their vineyard, sighing. MC still doesn’t get it… He would have gone to take a glass of wine if he didn’t feel a strange aura surround MC. He turned his gaze to them, as he remembered the painful truth. No… how did he forget… More than ever he wanted to walk to MC and just, just tell them: ‘Kill the Count!’ but as soon as he walked towards them the grass he stepped on, as well as the grapes, started to turn red. He stopped in his tracks, feeling hopeless.

MC saw the Hierophant stare at them, waving happily. They started walking towards them and as soon as they were in front of him, the grass and grapes have turned into their normal colours.

“I believe it was enough for today,” they said with a smile, “I should go back and attempt to make all of these,” they gestured at the bottles filled with various liquids, “At home.”

“MC, wait,” he tried to stop them.

“What is it, sir?”

“I have been thinking about it,” he started talking, trying to come up with anything that would make them stay, “And I’ve decided. I want to offer you to stay in my realm,” he stared at their confused expression for a moment, then continued, “Think about it, I don’t give this offer to just anyone. Imagine all of the research you could do.”

MC was silent for a moment, thinking about it thoroughly, “That offer is amazing,” they finally said with a smile, “But I have to decline it. I’m sorry. There are just so many people that need my help. I can’t just leave them like that. But don’t worry sir. As soon as all of this is done, I’ll pay you a visit, I promise.”

He was silent for a moment, wanting to open his mouth to say something, but stopped. “Of course. See you soon, magician,” he said as he gently patted their head, knowing that this will be the last time he’ll see MC.


	14. Julian/Lucio/Muriel/Vulgora/Valdemar picking MC up after they had an argument

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I genuinely had no idea how to title this chapter XD
> 
> Anyways, the scenario:
> 
> Could you do one where Julian, Muriel, Lucio, Valdemar and Vulgara have an argument with mc and mc gets mad and tell them to leave and take their stuff with them and the guy is like "Fine!" and proceeds to pick mc up and carry them off, taking pleasure in mc's sputters and blushing. I ask this mainly because I want Muriel to pick them up from their waist and keep them eye level as he leaves, Vulgora to pick them up like a football, Julian throws them over his shoulder, Lucio carries them off princess style, and Valdemar picking them up like they are an unruly puppy and maybe shakes them a little when they start trying to yell.

**_Julian:_ **

Lately MC and Julian couldn’t see each other eye to eye. It seemed that they argued just about anything. Last week they argued about the way one makes the bed, three days ago about the amount of money they spend. It was never enough to make them way too angry at each other, but the consequences could be felt. There was always a tension between them as if they were waiting to start arguing about something else.

All of this resulted in them trying not to do much in each other’s presence, thus not making any topic they could argue about. Today, it happened again. MC was cleaning their shop, trying their best to somehow please Julian as they went over his leech collection. They organized it how they saw Julian do it, thinking they are doing it the right way. Unfortunately, they were wrong, so the act of kindness they wanted to show Julian resulted in him getting irritated even more. The day had already been way too stressful for both him and MC, and all of this seemed to be a cherry on the top.

“You can’t just move my leeches wherever you want!” Julian said, taking a couple of jars filled with leeches.

“Julian, those are leeches,” MC said, annoyed, “Does it really matter how you organize them?”

“It does,” he insisted as he sorted them on his cupboard, “Leeches have different purposes!”

“They all do the same thing – suck blood.” MC said as they watched him organize the jars, “So, how much different is your organization than mine?”

“This leech,” he started explaining as he raised one of the jars, “Is much older than,” he tapped on the other jar, “This leech. And you put them together!”

“So? They both suck blood just fine.”

“Yes, but I can’t give people any leeches. It’s a long pro-”

“Why do you give people leeches at all? I bet that a nap helps the patient better than those,” they gestured at the jars in disgust.

“Of course not!” he protested, “If they weren’t good for the patients, I wouldn’t give them leeches at all!”

“You know what?” MC said, frustrated. They’ve had enough,” Fine. You’re right about _everything._ So now, Mr. know-it-all, pack your leeches and all other things and get out.”

“Fine!”

MC expected that Julian would start collecting his jars, leaving MC for good. Just the thought of that made something in MC break. They didn’t want Julian to leave. Just when they were going to beg Julian to stay, he grabbed them, nearly throwing them over his shoulder.

“What do you think you’re doing?” MC asked as they tried to get off.

“I’m getting what’s mine,” Julian said with a dumb smile as he locked MC’s door, going his place.

MC blushed along the way, trying not to make any eye contact with the people passing by. Julian, on the other hand, didn’t seem to give a flying fuck about the glances he got. He happily unlocked the doors of his home, putting MC on one of the sofas, giving them a quick peck on the lips.

As soon as he pulled away, MC said, “I’m sorry for-”

“I know,” he interrupted them, gently smiling as he leaned closer, slowly as if he didn’t want to scare MC away. MC, on the other hand, got tired of waiting as they grabbed his suit, pulling him closer, but just before they could kiss, their noses bumped, making them pull to move away from one another, gently holding their noses. After a moment they looked at each other, then at their red noses, laughing at how dumb they are. After they’ve calmed down a bit they leaned again, this time, kissing properly.

Surprisingly enough, their kiss was soft, almost as if they were just brushing each other’s lips. Then, MC decided to spice things up as they bit Julian’s lower lip, gently pulling it, impatiently waiting for Julian’s reaction. He irked up a bit, not expecting MC to be so rough, however, by the way his blood rushed to his cheeks, it was obvious he was enjoying it. MC didn’t stop there, their hands gently tracing over his neck, then playing with his ginger locks of hair as they took off his eye patch, tossing it on the floor. Now that was out of the way, MC pressed in further, on their tiptoes as they tried to pull Julian down. Once they’ve pulled away they stared at each other, appreciating the moment, feeling like they’re the only people in the Vesuvia.

****

**_Lucio_ **

“You’ve been spending way too much money,” MC commented one time in the shop,” Please, please, get a grip.”

“Don’t worry,” he responded, gently petting MC’s head,” Our coffins are filled with money!” he continued bragging.

“But what if they become empty tomorrow?” they pressed the matter further,” What would you do then? What are you spending all that money on?!?”

“Dear, just,” he stopped for a moment, trying to think of what to say,” Don’t think much about it.”

“How can I not think about it? Lately, you’ve been spending way too much money on everything!” they said, staring at him with clear worry,” Do you really believe you need golden mirrors?”

“Of course I do!”

“I…” they looked at him in disbelief. He can’t be serious, can he? ” Look, you need a wake-up call,” they said, completely serious,” Please, if you truly do want to keep up with constantly spending money for no reason, leave. Just, take your unreasonably expensive stuff and leave.”

“I was just thinking about that!” he said with a smile plastered on his face as he picked MC up, walking out of the shop as he carried MC bridal style.

He noticed how MC stared at him in shock, so he proudly said, “Don’t mind me, I’m just taking what’s mine~”

MC stared at him in disbelief, blushing like mad. Once they were back at the palace, Lucio gently put them down. For a moment he admired MC’s figure who just laid on his bed, their cheeks still flushed from Lucio’s small act. He smirked as he bent over them, not even trying to be discrete as he stared at their plump lips. His head was so close to MC’s that he could feel their breath brush his cheeks. Just when MC thought that he was going to kiss them, he stopped, admiring MC’s face one more time, then, with a smug smirk, he leaned in closer, sealing his lips with MC’s.

The passionate kiss he gave them was rough, filled with emotion, just like the first time when he kissed them. MC was addicted to the feeling as they pulled Lucio closer, trying to deepen the kiss, holding his face firmly. Even though he enjoyed all of this, he hadn’t had enough; he needed more thrill. And so he granted his own wish as he grabbed MC’s exposed collarbone with his cold golden hand, making MC shiver below him.

MC’s lips formed a small curve as they played with the loose strands of Lucio’s hair, not even thinking about breaking the kiss. They decided to tease him back, touching Lucio’s exposed chest, tracing his abs with their nails. Lucio tried his best to suppress the gasp, frowning once MC pulled their hands away. MC is such a tease, always pulling away at the best part…

“Lucio,” MC gasped for a moment, not taking their eyes off of Lucio’s lips, “While I do appreciate all of this, your problem with spending enormous amounts of money still stays.”

He knew how stubborn MC can be, but he also knew that MC never did anything with ill intent.

“Fine. I’ll sort out anything unnecessary and sell it off,” he said, pouting.

“Thank you, my love,” MC said with a smile as they gave him another kiss.

****

****

****

**_Muriel_ **

MC and Muriel have been walking together in the forest, looking for some mushrooms. The two of them happily walked on the trails known only to them, trying their best not to disturb any forest animal along the way. Sure, MC wasn’t used to walking on the dirt-covered in grass and wood roots, so they found themselves, slipping and falling quite often. This never stopped them, as they would stand up quickly, brush the dirt off as they laughed with Muriel at how clumsy they are.

Finally, they found themselves in a small field filled with non-poisonous mushrooms. They collected them together, taking small breaks in between, playing with some rabbits passing by, as well as trying to approach deer who didn’t mind the two of them at all. Overall, they had a great, as well as a rather productive time since they were able to collect enough mushrooms for the whole winter.

They returned to the hut together, making some jokes about how they are better prepared than squirrels along the way. It was only when they were in front of the hut that MC had a feeling of sadness wash over them. Muriel lived in a small, minimalistic hut, having enough just to survive. For God’s sake, he didn’t even have spices for his food! All of this made MC feel terrible.

“Muriel,” they started talking as they took all of the mushrooms out of the basket, cleaning them in one of the buckets Muriel kept outside,” I’ve been thinking a lot lately and I would love it if you would move in with me.”

He turned to them, taking a glance at them then at the doors of his tiny hut. After a moment, he responded with a shrug, “No.”

“Why not?” MC asked them.

“Because I enjoy it there,” he said with a smile, looking at his hut once more. Sure, he didn’t have much, but he had a warm place, a roof over his head, food and most importantly, MC; what else does he need?

“But, but you don’t even have a bathroom.” MC noted with a frown as they prepared to grill some of the mushrooms for dinner,” Don’t you think that you should live somewhere with minimal living conditions?”

“I don’t care,” he said with a slight puff. This conversation started to annoy him,” I’d rather be in my hut than in your busy shop,” he stopped for a moment, realizing that this sounded a lot harsher than how he intended to say it.

“Is that how you feel?” MC responded, offended by his words,” Then what does my shop have that your hut doesn’t?”

“Peace,” he simply responded, hoping that MC would drop the topic.

“What are you talking about? Both of us know that apart from the customers there are no people! It’s pretty damn peaceful!”

“It’s not the same, though,” he insisted, not wanting to make eye contact with MC.

“How?!?”

“It’s just…” he stopped for a moment to think,” I don’t know how to explain it, it’s not the same as in here.”

“You know what?” MC asked him, knowing deep down that they were overreacting,” If it’s so much better in your hut than in my shop, then why don’t you take your things and live in this hut for the rest of your life?!?”

“I wouldn’t mind,” he said with a smile as he grabbed MC’s waist, picked MC up, staring at them directly in the eyes because he knew that if he stared down he wouldn’t be able to hold in his laughter. The height difference between them was just too funny to him sometimes. With a small smile forming on his lips, he went back into the hut, putting MC on the bed.

“I don’t think I’ll need anything else from your shop,” he said as he took a glance at MC’s flushed face as he went back outside, being proud at how smooth he was. Not long after he returned with some wood, starting the fire, then grilled the mushrooms. He walked back to MC, sitting right next to them, handing over the food.

“MC, I didn’t mean anything bad,” he said, snuggling closer to MC.

“I know,” they said as they finished the meal, standing up so they could kiss Muriel’s forehead, ” I overreacted,” they said as they took Muriel’s plate, going to the other side of the hut. They gently put the dishes into the bucket filled with water and started washing them. At that moment, as they washed the dishes in silence, they understood what Muriel was talking about not so long ago.” I have to admit it, you do have a point. It’s much more peaceful here.”

**_Vulgora_ **

****

“MC LOOK!” Vulgora said one fine morning as they walked into MC’s shop without even knocking, holding a skeleton’s arm proudly in their hands.

“Eek!” MC screamed at the sight, jumping back which resulted in them accidentally breaking an empty jar.

“What’s wrong? Why so scared all of a sudden?” they asked, confused.

“Vulgora…” MC said as they stared at them from the safe distance,” Is that a hand?”

“Yes,” they said with a smug smirk, puffing their chest out,” It’s an old trophy of mine,” they said proudly,” Thought I should clean it.”

“Well I think you should throw it away,” MC said with a frown, cowering in fear. How did Vulgora get an arm?

“What?!?” they turned their head to MC, not believing what they were hearing,” NO WAY. DON’T YOU KNOW WHOSE HAND THIS WAS?!?” they said as they lifted the hand.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care,” MC said as they backed off a little,” Just get it out of my shop.”

“BUT THIS WAS A HAND OF ONE FAMOUS GENERAL!!!” they started explaining as the memory of them cutting off the hand of the man who begged them to spare their lives in the middle of the battlefield. Those were great times. They still couldn’t believe all of that happened 130 years ago. They remembered it as if it happened yesterday… Then, they got out of their trance, remembering where they are and what they were doing. Right, MC dares to disrespect this fond memory of theirs, ” YOU HAVE NO CLUE HOW MUCH PEOPLE WOULD PAY JUST TO SEE IT!”

“Well you have no clue how much I’d pay to throw it away,” they said as they couldn’t take their eyes off the skeleton hand.

“What?!? NO.”

“Please, just, just get it out of my sight…” they begged, feeling hopeless.

“No way!” they kept arguing, however, they felt like their anger started to wear off. They just couldn’t be mad at MC for long periods,” I wanted your help with cleaning.”

“Why would you need my help with it?!?” they asked with disgusted. They aren’t going anywhere near that thing.

“You know, for ‘bonding’” they said as they made quotation mark with both of their hands, still holding onto the skeleton,” And other bullshit humans believe in.”

“Couldn’t we just… I don’t know,” they said sarcastically as they shrugged,” Not clean the fucking skeleton?!?”

“But it’s all dusty!” they said as they extended the skeleton’s hand to MC.

“Vulgora,” MC said with a sigh as they massaged their temple,” Why do you have to do so many gruesome things?”

“SINCE WHEN WAS CLEANING GRUESOME?!?!”

“You know what… just…” MC said with a sigh, tired of everything,” Take that hand and any other ‘trophy’ of yours and leave. Please,” they gestured at an animal right above the entrance doors of their shop,” I can’t bear to look at that poor deer’s head anymore.”

“But you were the one who killed it!”

“Yeah and I cried because of it,” they said, remembering how sad, the deer’s eyes looked at MC.

“Weren’t those tears of joy?!?”

“NO!”

“Ugh, fine,” Vulgora said, feeling like they got tired of the argument themselves,” I’ll take what’s mine and go.”

They carefully put the hand in their pocket, then picked MC up with only one hand, like an absolute ~~madman~~ chad that they are and went back to their estate as if nothing happened.

“What are you doing?” MC asked, trying to get off.

“Exactly what you wanted!” Vulgora said, getting a bit frustrated at how difficult MC was to please.

Just before MC was about to tell them they never told them to do any of this, they realized what Vulgora meant, leaving them like a blushing mess to Vulgora’s estate. As soon as Vulgora set a foot into their mansion they put MC down.

“So… this means no more deer hunts?”

“At least not with me,” MC said, looking down, trying to hide their flushed face away from Vulgora.

“That sucks,” they frowned, not noticing how embarrassed MC was,” It’s always more fun hunting with you…”

“I fall off my horse nearly every time. I can’t even hold a bow properly,” MC explained, naming just a few things at the top of their head.

“That’s _exactly_ why it’s so much fun.”

MC rolled their eyes, letting a chuckle escape their lips, however, they stopped as soon as they saw Vulgora take out the hand.

“I want to never, _ever_ , see that again,” MC said as they pointed at the hand.

“But-”

“No buts.”

“Ugh, fine,” they groaned, rolling their eyes,” I’ll hide it somewhere you won’t find.”

Even though MC would have much preferred that Vulgora would just throw the hand away, they knew this was the best solution they could get, “Thanks.”

****

****

****

**_Valdemar_ **

****

****

****

“My dear, don’t you worry, this is just a usual protocol,” Valdemar said with a grin as they cleaned their scalpel.

“Are you, are you sure?” MC asked, a bit worried. Was a scalpel necessary for this wound?

“I have _centuries_ of experience,” they said, not breaking eye contact with MC,” I’m sure.”

Half an hour later, MC stared at their patched arm. They were grateful for what Valdemar did for them, but was it so necessary for the process to be this painful? Once they took a glance at Valdemar happily writing down in their notebook, they got an answer. This was just another attempt to further their research. MC groaned in frustration,

“Oh my, guess I’ve carried it a bit too far, hm?” they asked as they walked back to MC, checking the wound once more.

“You think?” MC asked, annoyed.

“Come on now, my dearest,” they told MC as they checked to see if MC was hurt anywhere else,” It was just a little research about muscles. It’s nothing too much.”

“But you _promised_ that it’s not going to be extreme.”

“Please, don’t make too much of a drama, I’m just,” they stopped for a moment, trying to find the right word,” Enjoying the moment.”

“Well, I’m happy for you, but this makes me uncomfortable…”

“I can assure you, you’re in…” they stopped themselves from saying ‘in good hands’ since they knew they had questionable morals,” Hands of a professional.”

“You do realize that I don’t want to, nor have to be in the hands of a professional, I just want to be in the hands of someone who won’t experiment on my wound.”

“Why my little MC,” they joked as they checked the rest of MC’s body for any other wound, “If you minded me getting a better look at your body, you could have said something.”

Even though Valdemar reassured them, MC still felt uneasy, like their words weren’t enough, “It was that easy?” they asked, to which Valdemar only nodded, “Why do I feel like as soon as something else happens to me, you’ll be back on using the opportunity to further your research?”

“You worry too much. I stand behind what I said.”

“Right… just like when you promised Vlastomil you won’t lay a hand on his worms, or when you reassured Lucio that his peacock is in safe hands.”

“Oh please-” they wanted to add another remark, but MC interrupted them.

“If you can’t keep your word to them, then how do I know you’ll keep your word now?” they didn’t even bother to let Valdemar say anything else as they continued with their rant, “Honestly… sometimes I feel like the same thing will happen to me. I think it would be best if we…” they stopped for a moment, feeling guilt choke them. They didn’t want to break up with Valdemar, “… Just take your things out of my shop. I need to think about all of this for a while.”

“Why would I go all the way to the shop when all of my things are right here?” they mused as they picked MC up, to which MC started kicking and demanding to be put down. Valdemar only sighed as they extended their arms, being at a safe distance from MC.

“Put me-” they couldn’t finish their sentence as Valdemar gave them a gentle, playful shake.

“Please be silent for a moment. You don’t want me to drop you accidentally, no?” they simply responded as they took a walk back to their estate. Once there, Valdemar put MC down, leaning closer, “I’ve taken what’s mine. What now?” they asked with a grin.

MC stared at them for a moment, trying to calm down from all of the kickings. Once they comprehended what Valdemar wanted to say, they started blushing like mad.

After a moment, Valdemar got impatient, so they simply stated, “As I said before, you could have just told me you’re uncomfortable. I can assure you that nothing bad will happen,” they repeated what they said in the dungeons, giving MC a gentle pat on the head, “So tell me now, my little guinea pig,” they said with a wide grin, “Would you like some tea?”


	15. Courtiers believing MC died

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can we have one where the apprentice has to for whatever reason fake their death before going to another plain of existance and because of reasons they don't/can't tell there love they are alive and well? And and the couriers go through the stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) before apprentice returns and is deeply apologising for putting their love thru that, with each of the couriers having a meltdown because the couriers dont believe there real at first because there mental health had been slowly eroding because of the grief and might think apprentice is a hallucination at first before it finally dawns they are real which might cause them nonhuman couriers to momentarily loose control of their forms and apprentice now has a weeping sobbing abomonation clinging to them?

##  **_Volta_ **

Volta’s food dropped out of her mouth as she heard the terrible news. Is it true? No, it can’t be. Their beloved MC can’t be dead. There is just no way. She stood up from her dining table and went to visit MC. However, as soon as they saw Asra crying in the shop, she got a bad feeling forming in her stomach.

“Where is MC?” Volta innocently asked Asra, “Are they still sleeping?” she asked, knowing how much MC enjoyed good rest.

“Nobody told you?” Asra asked her, feeling only pity for her.

“All of them are lying to Volta, right?” she asked, feeling tears form in her eyes.

Asra didn’t know what to say, they just shrugged, hugging Volta.

“Stop crying Asra,” Volta said coldly as she tried her best not to cry, “MC is fine. They promised Volta that they’ll go to a bakery together.”

“Volta…” Asra stared at her blank face, “Go check for yourself.”

“Volta will,” she said as she broke the hug, going upstairs to MC’s room.

“Volta is sorry that she went in without knocking,” she started apologizing, “But she has heard about some terrible, terrible rumours!”

She waited for MC’s reaction, however, she received nothing. MC didn’t even flinch.

“MC,” she mumbled as her lips were shaking, “MC, wake up. It’s not funny…” she started sobbing as she gently held MC’s hand, shaking it from time to time, “Please, wake up.”

She waited and waited, but MC didn’t move. Asra finally went inside of the room, somehow forcing Volta outside.

“Volta, we should hold a funeral,” Asra started explaining.

“What, no!” she protested through tears, “We can’t! What if, what if MC wakes up?”

“You know very well MC won’t do that…”

It seemed that Asra’s words finally got through her. She calmed down a bit, “Please give Volta more time to think about it…” she begged Asra.

“Fine,” Asra said as they went downstairs, giving Volta some space.

She didn’t go inside the room, she didn’t have the heart to do so, instead, she said in front of the doors, crying over all of her mistakes. How did MC die? Did they eat some bad food? Did someone do this to them? All of this made her feel so, so guilty. She didn’t focus enough time on their dearest MC, instead, she only spent her time eating and eating… and now that MC is gone, she truly regretted not spending more time with them. She walked left and right in front of MC’s room, imagining all of the things she missed just because of her hunger. Speaking of hunger, it was killing her, but she tried her best to suppress it by biting on her nails. She can’t always turn to hunger for everything, she needs to sort this on her own.

And so she spent three whole days weeping over MC’s death, trying to come up with something, anything that would return them. She even thought about making another deal with the devil, despite how much she hated the thought of it. Thankfully, Asra stopped her from doing so, reassuring her that that’s not what MC would have wanted. After a whole week passed Asra visited Volta once more in her estate.

“We have to hold a funeral for MC.”

“No! Volta is not ready yet!” she cried out as she bit on her nails in frustration.

“Volta,” Asra started talking as they took her hands out of her mouth, “Let MC finally rest. You have to move on.”

“But, but I miss them,” she said as she burst into tears.

“I know,” they reassured her, “I miss them too, but you can’t leave MC’s body to rot in a room. Let’s give them a proper funeral, alright?” they asked as they brushed Volta’s tears off, “We’ll do it together.”

After she calmed down for a moment, she wanted to say something, but she still couldn’t, so instead, she just nodded in approval. As soon as Asra left her gloomy estate, Volta laid on her bed, thinking about everything. She knew that she had to be strong, if not for herself, then at least for MC. Right. They wouldn’t want to see her in this state. She’ll be strong for MC… she will. Just as she was about to leave her bedroom and walk into the hallways, MC stood right in front of them.

“Wh-what,” Volta stared at them feeling tears running down her cheeks.

“No, Volta, please don’t cry,” MC said as they gave her a tight hug, rubbing her back. Just like how Volta remembers it.

“You, you’re still, still,” Volta tried her best to form a coherent sentence through her sobs as she nuzzled her head in MC’s chest, “But I, I tried to wake you, and you, you.”

“Shh,” MC said as they gently pat Volta’s hair, humming a melody only the two of them knew, “I’m sorry for making you worry. It was never my intent to hurt you. So, wanna go to that bakery?”

##  **_Vlastomil_ **

Vlastomil has just been cleaning his beloved worm's rooms when he sensed something unusual. MC's soul was nowhere in Vesuvia. How odd, they didn't tell him they went to travel. But MC would always inform him if they were away, plus, they were supposed to visit him today. He realised that something was wrong so he decided to investigate himself.

He took the carriage and, along with Wiggler, decided to visit MC. Soon enough, he was in front of MC's little shop. The doors were locked but that wasn't much of an obstacle to Vlastomil. He quickly unlocked the doors, looking around MC's shop. Everything seemed to be fine but it was only until he saw MC laying in their bed, not breathing at all that he let out the screech of horror.

"MC..." he called out as he put Wiggler down, "MC, what's going on?" He asked once more as he touched their cold hands.

How could this happen? They weren't sick, he would have known for sure, so there was only one answer - they were murdered. But why? Who would have wanted to do any harm to his dearest? They were harmless! As far as he knew, nobody hated MC. Wait, were they murdered because, because of him? Could it be that somebody killed MC because they wanted to hurt Vlastomil that way? Those bastards! He'll find them and he'll make them pay for it! He quickly scooped Wriggler and took one last glance at MC, before they paid one of their colleagues a visit.

"Good morning Praetor," Valdemar responded coldly as they greeted Vlastomil, "What brings you here, I wonder?"

"Tell me who did it?!" He demanded.

"Who did what?" Valdemar asked, tilting their head.

"Who killed MC?!?"

"MC is dead?" They asked as they thought for a moment, "Oh, would you look at that, their soul is not amongst the alive," they trailed off, "Sorry for your loss," they quickly responded as they trailed off once again, wanting to return to their mansion.

"How can you, how can you be so cold?" He asked, not believing Valdemar's words, "Tell me, tell me who killed them."

Valdemar was silent for a moment, until they finally responded, "I don't know."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY YOU DON'T KNOW???" he shouted, getting more and more irritated, "You're death! You should know that!"

"How do I explain this simply enough so that even the likes of you could understand it..." Valdemar said, frowning. Just before Vlastomil wanted to say something, Valdemar raised their hand, continuing "MC isn't amongst the alive, but neither are they amongst the dead. However, if you would like to know a bit better, I could dissect-"

"No, no, no, NO!" Vlastomil interrupted Valdemar, "You won't do a thing to MC!"

"But think about all the science I could do with that body of theirs," they mused, "I have never had a specimen such as them..."

"Just shut up!" Vlastomil responded, furious, "You were useless!" With those words, he left.

Once he was in his carriage he started thinking of someone, anyone who could have murdered MC... why were there so many people on the list? He knew he had enemies, but now that he had listed them all he realises how incredibly big that list is! Oh, it could have been anyone! Why did his poor MC have to pay for that all? If only he had paid a fraction of time to them... Why weren't there any guards around?

He sighed, trying to come up with something, anything he could do. However, the more he thought about it he realised that there was no way he could do anything. He went home, feeling just a little bit better when he saw his babies. Knowing very well that it's not good for worm's health to be surrounded by negative energy, he went straight to work, trying their best to take good care of them. However, as soon as he cooked them food, a choking feeling of guilt took over him. Isn't he abandoning MC this way? It just... feels wrong to enjoy the precious time he spends with the worms when MC is...

For the first time in decades, he asked the servants to take care of the worms for the rest of the evening. When it was bedtime for the worms he didn't even go to sing them a lullaby.

It took him 2 whole weeks to come out of his bedroom. At first, he didn't do much, he just checked on the state of their precious children. But as more and more days passed, he would stay longer out of his room, enjoying the company of his precious little children who missed him dearly. Months have passed and people thought that Praetor got over their lover's death. He was busy with his usual duties, he would feed the worms, clean them, redecorate their rooms, oh, and also he would do his duties as Praetor from time to time.

However, the only thing that was inside of his head was MC and, no matter what he did they were always in his thoughts. It almost seemed to him like they kept on living in his head. Every morning he would almost greet them in his bedroom, ask to have another plate for MC and so on. Even though he seemed like a normal, sane person, to some of his servants he seemed like a madman who was just about to break.

And all of them were right. One morning he came inside of the staff's room, demanding to take 'the charlatan' out.

"What are you talking about sir?" One of the younger maids asked him.

"There is some awful, terrible person in the guest room acting like MC. How disrespectful. Who let that bastard in?"

"But Vlasty," MC said as they walked into the room, "It is me!"

"Shut up! Don't you have any shame?!?" He walked straight up to MC, ignoring the staff's gasps.

"But, can't you recognise me?" MC asked, feeling their eyes getting glossy from the tears. They stared at the staff with the hope that one of them might help them, but instead, they did the opposite. All of them silently left, giving MC a pitiable look.

"MC is dead! Dead! And you are over here pretending to be them!" He started crying in rage," What did you hope to see? Stupid, disgusting human!" he wanted to say more but he stopped as he stared at MC crying.

MC didn't like to be seen crying, so only a few saw them do it. First, it was just silent sobs, once a bit more time passed their tears started to roll down their cheeks. They covered their mouth with one and cleaned their tears with the other.

Vlastomil stared at them in shock. Slowly he extended his skinny hand to them. MC didn't flinch, they just nuzzled their head closer to his hand, enjoying the touch they so craved for.

"It's me," MC said as they let Vlastomil hug them, showering them with gentle butterfly kisses all over their face.

"It... it is you," he nodded as he put his head on theirs, "I... I was so... so devastated. Don't you ever, _ever_ do anything like this again."

"I promise."

##  **_Vulgora_ **

This isn’t real. This is _not_ real. It just can’t be. MC can’t be dead. They were doing just fine yesterday, they even asked Vulgora if they wanted to go to the red market together. So, they can’t be dead. Asra’s just saying bullshit.

“Do you think I’m dumb?” Vulgora asked Asra, pissed.

“How many times do I have to tell you to understand?” Asra asked Vulgora, getting frustrated as well, “MC is not breathing…” they stopped talking as they felt their breath getting uneasy as they finally burst in tears.

Vulgora just watched Asra cry as they had to reconcile with the truth. Once Asra has left their estate, Vulgora felt an inhuman amount of rage pile up. Immediately they started breaking things, throwing chairs, ruining tapestries, tearing paintings and overall ruining everything that was in their way.

It was only when they snatched a sword, ready to tear another one of their paintings that they stopped. This was the dagger MC gave them for their anniversary… They gently traced with their gauntlet the message that MC carved in the handle: ‘ _For many great victories that are about to come._ ’

Damn it. Damn it all… How could they let this all happen? Even though Vulgora had all of the power that they wanted, they still couldn’t protect MC. How? Do they have to make more deals with the devil? Will that help? Who are they trying to fool, of course, it won’t. Vulgora failed and it was too late to try and fix their mistake.

Unlike the rest of the people who were at Mc’s funeral, Vulgora didn’t cry. They just couldn’t. Deep down they still believed that MC was alive, even when they took a look at MC’s body. The funeral was done and Vulgora couldn’t recall anything that happened. They went back to their estate, completely silent, laying down on their bed. Who knows how long they’ve spent just staring at the ceiling, not thinking about anything else but MC. A couple of days have passed with Vulgora staying in their room, trying to get over the fact that MC’s dead. As soon as they would believe that they’re truly over it, a choking feeling of grief would take over them, resulting in Vulgora reacting in the only way they knew – violence. By the time they were over the fact that MC was dead their bedroom looked unrecognizable.

Vulgora, however, didn’t give a shit about that. They just left the room, breathing in some fresh air but then, out of nowhere, MC stood in front of them. No, no, that can’t be, MC is dead. Is someone trying to mess with them? They felt rage build up inside of them again and before MC could say anything Vulgora marched in front of them, ready to kill the ‘imposter’.

“Vulgora, what are you doing?” MC asked as they nearly dodged the sword’s blade.

This bastard. How dare they impersonate MC. Don’t they have any respect?

“Vulgora, it’s me,” MC called out.

“NO, IT’S NOT!” Vulgora shouted as they tried their best to get to them. Gosh, why are they so hard to kill?

“Please stop it. You’ll hurt me.”

“THAT’S THE POINT!”

MC realised that at this point Vulgora will kill them, so they started talking about anything that would prove MC’s identity, “I, I gave you that sword last month, remember?” as soon as they’ve noticed Vulgora softening a bit they continued, “For many great victories that are about to come. That’s the message I carved,” after Vulgora stopped swinging with their sword, MC continued, “You said how I carved the ugliest ‘f’ that you’ve ever seen. We were in the Rowdy raven and you got into a fight with some woman and you nearly used the sword on her. I had to intervene or else you would have killed her.”

“It…” Vulgora stared at MC for a moment, their eyes sparkling with joy, “It really is you!” they shouted as they hugged MC as tight as they could, “You bastard, you had me worried sick! You have to tell me how you pulled that off!”

##  **_Valerius_ **

“What are you talking about?!?” he asked the maid who brought the news, feeling the glass of wine shatter in his hands, “Do you think you’re being funny?”

“Sir I was just-” before she could explain herself Valerius lifted his hand, gesturing her to shut up.

“I don’t believe you. There is just no way! They were doing perfectly fine yesterday!” he commented as he left his estate, visiting MC.

As he was riding the carriage he thought more about the statement that maid made. MC can’t be dead, right? He felt tears form in his eyes just by thinking about the possibility. No, he thought as he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, MC can’t be dead, they were just fine yesterday. I need to stop making drama out of this. I haven’t cried since I was a kid, I won’t do that now.

He cried. He cried like a baby. With loud sobs, tears that just wouldn’t stop rolling down his cheeks and uneven breaths, he stared at MC’s lifeless body. He – how. Just, **how?** How could this happen on MC of all people… Wait, what’s that on their body? With shaky hands, he touched the back of MC’s shirt. It was all bloody. Someone tried to kill them!

All of the tears that he was about to spill because of MC were replaced by rage. Who did this? Who would have thought about this? It doesn’t matter who it is, he’ll have them hanged. No, he’ll do something much, much worse to them. He nearly left the room, almost forgetting why he was there in the first place. Right, MC should have a proper funeral.

And so they did, only days after Valerius found out. Of course, the funeral was a tad bit too extra, but Valerius didn’t give a fuck. He just stared at MC, not knowing what to say. When it was time to give MC things they could use in their life on the other side, Valerius calmly waited for everybody who wanted for others to put in their things – some of them gave money, others put on some herbs, spare clothes, scented candles that they knew MC was fond of and so on. When it was Valerius’ turn, he put down a little box right next to MC’s hand. It was an engagement ring. All of the money he spent on MC’s funeral was saved for the wedding. He was so excited at the thought of MC spending the rest of their life with him… and now it all fell into the water.

He took one last glance at MC’s emotionless face. Whoever did this to them is done for.

Once he got back home he wasted no time. He called his people, promising them a huge sum for finding the culprit. Once all of them left his mansion, he thought for a moment. What if someone hired an assassin to kill MC? He changed his mind. If that were the case, the assassin will be left without a scratch only if they tell him who hired them to kill MC. _Then_ all hell will break loose.

Weeks quickly turned into months and Valerius was on the same spot as before. No matter how many professionals he hired, neither one of them could come to anything. Great… just great.

He concluded that trying to find the culprit was meaningless at this point. With a loud sigh, he flopped himself on his bed, staring at his engagement ring. Had someone told them that all of this would happen, he would have spilt all of his wine on them, calling them an idiot. But now that all of this unravelled he had no clue how to feel about it, nor what he could do. MC was dead so he should at least return one of the rings, but he couldn’t. It just felt like he would completely abandon MC if he did that. He put on the ring on his finger then dropping his head on the pillow as he stared at the ceiling. He knew damn well he will never be able to love anyone like he loved his little witch…

He would have lamented a bit more had he not heard someone open the door. Lazily, he took a glance at the person, wanting to tell them to leave him alone, but he stopped. MC was the one who opened the doors.

“But… how?” he stared at them in disbelief. There is no way…

“It’s… complicated,” they said as they put some things on the floor. Once Valerius took a closer look, he realized that MC was wearing the clothes someone gave on the funeral. Looking down on the floor there was a small pouch with money, some scented candles and everything else people gave them at the funeral.

“So…” Valerius concluded with a chuckle, “You’re haunting me. First the witch, then a ghost,” he stopped for a moment, not knowing what to add, “How… _diverse_.”

“Val,” MC said as they walked up to him, sitting right next to him,” You know very well that’s not true.”

“Right. Ghosts would be a bit too much, no?” he laughed, ”My mind is just playing tricks on me...”

MC stared at him with tears in their eyes. They never thought this could break him so much. “Val, I love you very dearly and you know that.”

He was silent for a moment as he stared at their glossy eyes.

“But for the love of Gods please get a grip. This is nothing like you. I didn’t die, I never did. It was a ritual but it got out of hand. That’s why I looked dead for so long,” after explaining it all, they gently put their hand on his cheek, giving it gentle scratches.

At first, Valerius irked away from their hand. The whole hand was warm, except for one part which was cold like a… metal. He grabbed their hand. There, there is the engagement ring. Nobody knew about it and the ring was designed specifically for them.

“It, it is you,” he trailed off as he hugged them, “I, I was so worried.”

MC hugged them back as they buried their head in his chest, “I know, I’m so sorry.”

For a moment they were like that, enjoying each others company. Then, it hit Valerius.

“So, you,” he started talking but didn’t know how to word his sentence. He was supposed to propose to them in a different matter.

MC understood what he wanted to say. “Yes, Val, I’d love to be your spouse.”

##  **_Valdemar_ **

They couldn’t believe their eyes. MC was laying in their bed with no colour in their cheeks, no breath escaping their lips. Once Valdemar walked closer and was unable to feel their heartbeat they were sure. MC is dead.

How could this be? Why didn’t Valdemar feel any change? They’re a literal embodiment of death, yet they couldn’t feel MC’s life slip away. How did they even die? They did a check on MC three days ago and they were perfectly healthy.

They knew that if they wanted to find an answer they’d have to perform an autopsy. Swiftly, they put MC’s lifeless body on one of the tables, taking the scalpels they kept in MC’s home. As they carefully cleaned the scalpel, they took a glance at MC. Not yet; they can’t cut them open just yet. They put the scalpel down and did a quick check up on the body. There is no bleeding, no sign of violence, nothing. As soon as they opened their eyelid and seen MC’s lifeless eyes stare back at them, they backed off of MC’s body, a realization hitting them once again – MC truly is dead.

Damn it all! Why couldn’t they convince MC to make a deal with them? They should have been more persistent about it! Had MC made a deal with them, none of this would have happened… But now there is no way for them to return MC! They can’t make a deal with the devil – their whole soul already belongs to him, neither can they find a new body for them – the Fool’s body was one of a kind. For the first time in centuries, they feel helpless. What are they going to do? They never thought that the death of a human could disturb them so much… They turned away from MC’s body, sitting in MC’s favourite chair.

It was pretty obvious that they won’t dissect their body, even though the thought amused them when MC was alive. MC deserves a proper funeral. And so the funeral was held. Valdemar thought about not inviting anyone else, but, despite not wanting to, they told Asra. It was only fair for them to be there as well. Once everything was done Valdemar went back to their estate, still trying to process everything. MC is dead and Valdemar doesn’t even know how they died. Maybe they should have done the autopsy after all… No, now is no time turning back, death of a mere human shouldn’t haunt them for the rest of eternity.

This was nothing but a little obstacle in their eternal life… right, just a little obstacle. It’ll all go away after a couple of weeks. They were so, _so_ wrong. Months have passed and they couldn’t stop thinking about MC. It got so extreme that they continued with the habits – they still drank tea at the usual time, albeit they did it alone there was still another cup of tea on the table as if Valdemar expected for MC to come soon.

After a while, they realized that their behaviour just isn’t rational and that they won’t get over MC as soon as they thought they would. How… bothersome. They sat down for a moment, trying their best to think of how they’ll get over MC, because letting time do its thing didn’t go well so far. Oh, look, MC is standing right in front of them, great, now they even started hallucinating.

“Valdy dear, what’s wrong,” MC asked them as they walked closer, “You look terrible.”

“Whose fault is that?” they responded brashly.

“I,” MC stared at them for a moment then hugged Valdemar, “I, I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell you why I did that.”

“Do not worry,” they started as they smelled MC’s hair. Oddly enough, it smells like dirt. That’s not how they remember it, “People usually don’t know why they die,” they simply stated.

“But I didn’t die.”

“Yes, you did,” they protested, getting a bit tired of the way their mind played tricks on them, “What do you want to say, that I buried you _alive_?”

“Actually,” MC started, “That’s exactly what you did!”

To this regard, Valdemar didn’t know what else to do but laugh. “So, you’re saying that a person with no pulse and _no soul in their body_ can be **alive**?” they kept on laughing.

“If you don’t believe me, take a closer look at me!”

For a moment, Valdemar listened and looked at MC. Their hair was dirty, their clothes were covered in dirt. Could this be MC? Valdemar grabbed MC’s hand, pressing it lightly. There, there is a pulse! Wait, what is it they’re sensing? Could it be… it is! It really is MC’s soul!

They looked back at MC in the eyes, responding casually: “Take a bath. After that, tell me _everything._ ”


	16. Courtiers wen MC goes on a long trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scenario:
> 
> Another would be just the Couriers, where MC goes on a trip that lasts months and the Couriers are at first like "Yeah, yeah we'll be fine. We have lasted this long before you were here we'll last after. Go and enjoy your trip." but as the months pass they become progressively more and more miserable and are bothering/annoying the others (like they are completely driving the other couriers up the w all with their antics), to the point when MC finally returns one of the other couriers meets up with them and all but drags them to their lover and is like "Make them stop. Now!" and MC suddenly has a arm full of deliriously happy Courier who is just overjoyed they are back.

**_Volta_ **

“So, I’m off to travel,” MC stated once again as they took their bags off the floor, walking to the carriage.

“Did you pack enough food?” Volta asked as they tried to put in a sandwich in Mc’s bag.

“I did Volta,” MC reassured them, “We’ve packed it together, remember?”

“But, but,” Volta looked at them in disbelief, “That can’t be all you’re taking, right, right?”

“Trust me, it’s enough,” they reassured her as they gave her a quick peck on the lips, “Will you be fine without me around?”

“Oh, of course!” Volta smiled as she hugged MC one last time, “Volta has been alone for so long, she’ll be fine!”

“Alright,” MC returned the hug as they let their hand pet Volta’s hair one last time,” I’ll send you letters.”

“Oh, please do,” she said with a smile, “Take care!”

Once MC was out of sight Volta let out a sigh and went back to her estate. Happily, she started eating her food as if nothing happened. It was only the next week when she didn’t find MC that she started to panic. Oh, they’re gone, right. When did they say they’ll return? Two months, right. That’s no big deal to her. She is 100 years old! She can survive a few months…

“Um, sir,” one of the servants said as they carried an envelope, “You have a letter.”

“From whom?” she asked, curious. Does Nadia want to hold another meeting?

“MC, si-” as soon as he said MC’s name Volta jumped at him, snatching the envelope. With her tiny hands, she tried her best to open it but to no avail. Frustrated, she tore the envelope, taking out a parchment of paper.

_My dearest Volta,_

_After a whole week of being bored to death, I finally got to Nevivon. Unfortunately, I haven’t visited any interesting place, so I have nothing to write about._

_I truly wish that you could write me a letter telling me about how you’ve been, but I have no clue where I might end up by the time you receive this letter._

_Take care,_

_MC_

Volta reread the letter a couple of times, wishing she was with MC, but oh well, it can’t be helped. The most important thing is that they are safe and sound now. Feeling the warmth from MC’s kind words fill her heart, she put the letter on her desk and went to have dinner, thinking about MC the whole time. As she finished her 4th dinner she started to worry. MC never said if they had enough food. What if they’re hungry? Oh, poor little MC… she can’t do anything for them. The whole night was spent with zero sleep, Volta just couldn’t rest at the thought of MC being hungry.

Worry was eating her out, clouding her mind, not being able to do anything but think about the worst scenarios that could happen to MC. Frantically, she walked through her mansion, falling over many of her antiques that were collecting dust. As she stared at her scratched wrist, she started to panic more. If a demon like her could get hurt in the comfort of her home then who knows what could happen to MC! She bit her nails from stress until she felt the blood run down her fingers.

Just before she was about to ask for help, the servant came by and, with clear worry, helped poor Volta with the wounds. After he was done with bandaging the arm, he pulled out an envelope from his pocket, helping Volta open it. He put down the piece of paper on her lap and left the room.

She quickly took the paper, then immediately stopped from the pain on her fingertips. After taking a deep breath, she read the letter. There wasn’t anything that could interest Volta, MC talked about the beaches, different people they met as well as the food they tried. Food! So, they are eating well. Volta let out a loud sigh, happy that none of her worries was true.

Happy with the letter, she went downstairs, eating the food she didn’t eat this morning, knowing that everything is fine. MC is doing great and, by the looks of it, Volta will get their letters daily.

The next day passed and the sky has already started to darken. Volta didn’t receive any letters from MC that day. She bit on the bandages in worry. What happened? She would have pondered on the topic a bit more, had Vulgora not entered the room.

“Tiny one, what are you doing in here?!?” they asked, as they picked tiny Volta up, “You’re late and Nadia’s fucking pissed!” they mumbled as they left Volta’s mansion with her on their shoulder like some sort of bag.

Not much time has passed and the two of them were sitting in one of Nadia’s meetings with Volta barely visible behind the food. Much to everyone’s surprise, she didn’t take a bite.

After a while, Nadia asked, “Dear Volta, is something the matter?”

As soon as she heard Nadia’s gentle words, Volta didn’t know what to do other than crying. Through sobs and shaky breaths, she confessed about all of her worries for MC. Valdemar and Valerius rolled their eyes, not giving a damn about Volta’s feelings while Vlastomil listened carefully, knowing that this will be a great topic to gossip about. Vulgora, on the other hand, was just annoyed.

“Just grow some balls, Volta.”

“But, but,” she said through sobs, “What if MC died?” just the thought of it made her cry even more.

“I can assure you they’re alive,” Valdemar simply stated, hoping that Volta will calm down soon.

“How can I know if you’re lying?” she asked bitterly as she stared at the courtiers, “All you ever do is lie to me and throw me around. I hate it! I hate it! _I hate it!_ ” she shouted as she left the court meeting making everyone feel uncomfortable.

Vulgora stared at tiny Volta leave feeling only pity for her. Sure, they are a cold-blooded soldier, but Volta is like a child to them and out of all of the courtiers she is the most bearable one. They didn’t want to ruin their reputation by comforting tiny Volta, but they also didn’t want to see her cry. Then, it hit them. They won’t fix this, MC will!

On the other side of the sea, MC was taking a walk in an abandoned street, feeling a bit uneasy. Once they felt someone throw them over their shoulder, they started screaming and punching for their dear life.

“Calm down pipsqueak!” Vulgora shouted, “I’m just bringing you back to Vesuvia.”

“What?”MC said as they calmed down a bit. They didn’t even hear Vulgora coming,” But… how? Why?” they kept on asking.

“Because tiny Volta is crying like a baby and I’m sick of it! So you’re coming with me to fix that!”

“But why did you come all the way here? Couldn’t you just comfort Volta on your own?” MC asked, still not understanding a thing going on.

“Stop asking _unnecessary_ questions!” they shouted, “Just do your thing and make her stop crying!”

Mc nodded, going back to their dearest Volta.

In Vesuvia, Volta was lamenting in her misery, not even wanting to talk with Nadia. She still bit onto her bandages, making her fingertips bleed once more. She wished so badly that MC could be there with her, but she knew that won't happen anytime soon. She started crying once more, secretly being surprised at how much she was capable of crying. Just when she was about to stop her session, MC gave them a huge hug.

"Sh, Volta," MC said as they kissed her forehead, "Everything will be fine."

"MC," she said through her sobs, hugging them as tightly as she could, "Oh, you've finally returned! Volta was so, so worried. Please don't leave her like that ever again!"

MC smiled as they watched Vulgora happily leaving the two of them alone, "Alright, next time, I'm bringing you with me."

"Promise?" she asked, her eyes getting glossy from tears of joy.

"Promise."

**_Vlastomil_ **

“Vlasty, don’t you think you’ve forgotten something?” MC asked as they stood in front of the doors of his living room.

He stared at MC for a moment, thinking about that statement, “No, why?”

“I’m travelling today.” They simply stated, a bit disappointed that he forgot about it.

“WHAT? Aren’t you supposed to go next week?” he stared at them. He was so busy taking care of the worms, especially the pregnant ones that he completely forgot.

“No, it’s today. I have to leave soon.”

“No, no,” he tried to quickly come up with an excuse to make them stay a bit longer,” But you didn’t say bye to the worms…”

“I know,” MC said, thinking about how they’d rather not do that, “But I have no time to say goodbye to all of them. Do you want to go with me to the docks?”

He quickly picked up Wriggler and left with MC to the docks. The two of them got there just in time before the ship sailed off. Vlastomil stayed on the docks far longer than he should, almost as if he was waiting for the ship to return. Who knows how much longer he would have stayed there had Wriggler not started to get nervous around so many unknown people.

Once he got back to his mansion he noticed that something was missing. Yes, his many children were there with him but the mansion still felt empty and cold. Vlastomil wished he could have properly said goodbye to MC. But nothing can be done now. He brushed off that miserable feeling and went back to taking care of the worms.

Days passed by and the feeling of needing something that was just out of his grasp didn’t go away. Not even the labour of one of his worms made him feel better. He hated this feeling. He is a demon and yet, he had to go through the _feeling_ process. Of course, he did feel something for MC and he knew that it was love, but he hated all of these miserable feelings. It made him feel small and helpless and he hated that.

The next day he couldn’t run away from his job as a Praetor anymore so he had to drag himself to the Colosseum to attend the trial. Anything that both the prosecution and defence said seemed to go through one then the other ear. Valstomil just didn’t give a damn about that person. He didn’t like the way the person looked at him.

“I have made my decision,” he abruptly said, “You are… guilty! Oh yes, very guilty indeed.”

“But your honour,” the defence started talking, “It’s obvious that…”

“How dare you question _my_ decision!” Vlastomil said, getting offended more and more.

It seemed that was enough to make everyone shut up with a few mutterings of apologies from the defence. Once the whole ordeal was done, Valerius approached him, “Praetor, what is the meaning of all of this?”

“What do you mean by that?” Praetor asked, playing dumb, “I’ve just said my verdict. That’s what judges do, right?”

Valerius stared at him in disbelief, wanting to say something, but deciding not to. He let Vlastomil get off the hook this time, but if something like this were to repeat, there would be consequences.

And so it repeated. Each time Vlastomil got tipsier and tipsier, declaring everyone guilty and demanding that the ‘guilty’ gets hanged. Valerius decided that enough was enough and, no matter how terrifying Vlastomil seemed at the moment, someone must stop him.

“Praetor, don’t you think there was enough hanged for this month?” Valerius asked after one of the trials where another person was, _surprisingly_ proclaimed guilty.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” Vlastomil simply stated, feeling his patience run thin.

“You know _very_ well what I’m trying to say,” Valerius responded with bitterness, his patience slipping away from him, “Your witch would have made better verdicts for God’s sake!”

As soon as Vlastomil heard the mention of MC he couldn’t help but burst into tears. Valerius stared at him crying like a little child with no sympathy, realizing why Vlastomil was acting this way, “So, the two of you broke up.”

“WHAT? No!” Vlastomil said, mortified by just the thought of it. He returned to crying and said through tears, “MC is travelling.”

“Mhm,” Valerius nodded, not giving a damn about Vlastomil’s feelings, “And when will they return?”

“In five months.”

“ **Five** months?” Valerius said, mortified. He can’t bear Vlastomil’s behaviour for five whole months. He’ll kill half of the Vesuvia by the time MC returns! “And where did they go?”

“They went to Prakra to finish some of their business,” Vlastomil still explained, not even thinking about stopping with the crying.

Valerius left Vlastomil in his misery, trying to think of what sort of important business a witch would have. They probably wanted a break from the Praetor and, for a moment, Valerius seemed to agree with that. But alas, he knew that he had to cut MC’s ‘vacation’ short, so he went to Prakra to look for them. As soon as he got to the Prakra’s docks, he tried to think where would witches be. Luckily, he didn’t need to think long as they saw MC walking nearby.

“Witch,” he simply called out to them, not even bothering to call them by the name.

MC recognized the voice immediately, “Consul,” they said, surprised, “What a coincidence!”

“No, it’s not,” he simply stated, “I’ve come to you because of the Praetor.”

“What happened?” they asked, worried.

“He’s getting insane!” he wanted to mention how he proclaims everyone guilty, but he decided not to. He doesn’t want MC and Vlastomil breaking up, who knows how much worse it could be then, “You have to return.”

“But-”

“ _Now!_ ”

MC thought for a moment. Is Vlastomil in that terrible state? In the end, they decided that their love’swell being was much more important than their business. They quickly nodded, returning to the Vesuvia with the consul.

Vlastomil was in his mansion, taking care of the newborn worms. Even though they were the most adorable little things (to a person with Vlastomil’s standards) Vlastomil didn’t feel any joy when he looked at them. He was even debating about rehoming those worms! He would have thought a bit more about it hadn’t MC opened the door and went inside the room.

“MC!” he said happily as he ran to them, nearly dropping worms off his lap, “Oh, you’ve returned! I’ve missed you so,” he kissed their left cheek, “So,” he kissed the other cheek, ” _So,_ ” finally, he kissed their forehead, “Very much!”

It was MC’s turn to shower Vlastomil in kisses. Once they were done, they said with a smile, “I’ve missed you too,” they took out of their bag a small box, “I wanted to buy you souvenirs, but didn’t have enough time to do so,” they started explaining as they opened the box, “But I knew that Squiggle was pregnant, so I bought these mini sweaters for the children!”

He stared at the small pieces of fabric, melting at the sight. He knew that his dear children would look dazzling in them. Once he was done kissing his love all over again, he picked the box and went on to put the clothes on the newborns, deciding that those babies will stay where they are.

**_Vulgora_ **

"What do you mean by you don't need an axe?!?" they asked as they held their most prized possession, wanting to give it to MC as a parting gift.

"Exactly what you said," MC started as they raised their hands, refusing to take Vulgora's weapon, "Everything will be fine, besides, I'm not travelling alone," they gestured at another group of magicians who looked at least a bit experienced in battling off anyone dangerous.

"Fine," Vulgora huffed, feeling a bit frustrated, "But don't come crying to me if some bandits steal your stuff!"

"I won't," MC said as they gave Vulgora a small peck on the cheeks, "I promise."

"You'll be fine without me?" MC asked, knowing well how short-tempered Vulgora is when they're not around.

"Of course I will, now go on and don't die on me!" they exclaimed as they helped MC put their stuff in the carriage.

"Bye!" MC waved to them as they disappeared out of Vulgora's sight.

With a somewhat disappointed huff, Vulgora went back to their mansion, getting on with their usual business. It was only a few weeks later that everything went downhill. They were preparing for their usual hunt. Going to a forest with nothing but a sword as they rode their favourite horse they couldn’t help but think about MC.

They'll be away for quite some time, but that shouldn't bother them! They are a strong, mighty, independent demon. They can keep their shit somewhat cool until then, right? They nodded to themselves, being pretty confident with that reasoning. Their mind trailed off to those magicians, they seemed rather... annoying to say the least. No, they were dangerous! What could they possibly do to small MC! What if they, they didn't want to even think about it. And MC was so stubborn, they didn't even take Vulgora's weapons with themselves. Those pesky magicians could do just about anything to MC! Immediately at the thought, he started seeing red, wanting to beat the life out of those magicians. However, they weren't there, so they took their anger upon the poor animals living in the forest. But then, after they killed the second rabbit, they stopped. Didn't they talk about keeping their shit together? Why aren't they doing that? They should be doing that. They took a deep breath in and out, doing exactly as many as MC told them... fuck that! They're pissed and they're gonna show it. MC isn't here anyway, so who gives a fuck?

They kept on hunting and hunting and, once they've decided it was enough (at that point they killed around half a dozen of poor animals) they took the kill and went back home, demanding from servants to barbecue it for them.

The next weeks passed about the same, Vulgora would wake up, remember that MC left, groan in annoyance and went hunting. This time, they killed so many animals that they couldn’t carry them back to their estate. They thought and thought about what they should do with all of this, but then they felt the familiar presence of death. Valdemar most likely wanted to dissect the animals, but Vulgora didn’t give much of a damn. They can do whatever they want.

Over time, instead of calming down like they expected they would, Vulgora just became more and more aggressive. It happened both during and after the hunt. They showed violent behaviour to both animals and people. They started destroying shops, especially the ones with goods that are easy to break, they destroyed furniture in their estate, argued and got into the fights with just about anyone and so on. People were terrified, but nobody did anything about it. It was only when Vulgora destroyed the red market that a certain plague doctor decided to take action.

“Wake up MC,” Valdemar said as they towered over MC’s bed.

MC screeched at the sight of Valdemar’s red eyes staring into their soul. Still a bit sleepy, they moved away from Valdemar until they didn’t bump into the wall.

“How did you get into my room?” MC asked as they looked for the candle, “Why did you come all the way here? What’s going on?”

“Vulgora turned into a maniac who started destroying anything and everything,” they started explaining nonchalantly, “At first, everything was fine. They just killed some animals in the forest, giving me more specimen to dissect. But then, they started destroying other people’s property. You see how that is a problem, no?”

MC rubbed their eyes, nodding.

“Great! Now return to Vesuvia and talk some sense into them,” after they’ve seen MC not responding to anything, they continued talking in a much darker tone, “It _wasn’t_ a question.”

Rowdy raven was another place that Vulgora was about to destroy. They could have destroyed this property like any other, had the barman not stood up to them. Vulgora stared at the man, their left eye visibly twitching. Who does this brat think he is?!?!

Just when they were about to cut open the man, they felt someone hug them from behind. Thinking it was a tactic to take them down, they quickly turned, ready to cut open whoever it was, but they stopped their blade as soon as they saw it was MC.

They stared at MC for a moment, not knowing what to say. Should they start with how much they’ve missed them, wished they would have gone with them to that trip? No, that’s something weaklings would say.

“It was about damn time you’ve returned,” despite the harsh words, MC could see that Vulgora was happy that they were finally beside them.

They gently kissed their cheek, nuzzling their head to Vulgora’s neck, “I’ve missed you too.”

**_Valerius_ **

“Take care, my little witch,” Valerius said as he gently kissed MC’s forehead before they went inside the carriage, leaving for Karnassos.

“If I see some interdimensional monsters coming to Vesuvia, I’m blaming you,” Val said through a joke, even though he kinda meant what he said.

“But what if the monsters aren’t violent?” MC joked for a moment.

“I don’t care,” he said calmly, “I don’t want to see _anything_ of the sort.”

“You’re no fun,” MC said just before the carriage went off, leaving Valerius alone.

He waved a bit and, once the carriage left, went to his mansion, enjoying the rest of the day with wine. When he went to bed, he pondered for a moment about what was wrong with it. Sheets were changed and everything seemed like it was in its place. Except for MC. He brushed the thought off. He’s not a toddler that needs to sleep beside someone, but then again, it would be nice if he could feel MC’s head on his chest as they are slowly breathing in and out.

The next morning came and Valerius didn’t sleep at all. He just couldn’t and that was pissing him off. The next night came and he hoped that, because he didn’t sleep even a bit last night, he could sleep now. And it went like that, making him rather happy. However, as soon as the third night came, he couldn’t sleep again, and so the cycle repeated. How is he supposed to go to the court meeting now? He is a mess!

But then yet again, all of his colleagues are a bunch of nobodies, so does it matter how he looks?

He just arrived at the meeting, feeling more irritated than usual. It just seemed like all of them did something just to piss him off. Valdemar’s posture was annoying, Vlastomil’s same talk about his worms made Valerius roll his eyes, Vulgora’s shouting was giving him a headache but, without a doubt, the worst of them all was Volta. She was munching on her food with an open mouth, not even thinking about stopping any time soon.

“Volta, could you please act like a civilized person for a moment?” Valerius asked with a frown, “It is rather impolite to act the way you do. Don’t you want to act a bit more like the rest of the civilized world?”

Volta was surprised and rather hurt by his words. She stopped eating for a moment, feeling shame when she had to swallow the food that was in her mouth. She stared for a moment at all of the empty plates in front of her. Consul was right, she is terrible.

“I, I’m sorry,” she said as her eyes started to get glossy.

“Don’t just apologise,” Valerius said, rolling his eyes at Volta who was just about to burst into tears, “Do something about it!” he was running out of patience. Volta was acting like a little kid even though she could be Valerius’ grand grandma.

As the days passed by with Consul always visiting the palace, having the conversation with the rest of the courtiers about the measures that should be taken with the Flooded District. Every time Valerius was tired from spending the whole night without sleeping, he would take out his anger on poor Volta. His acts made her so confused. One day he’ll shout at her for accidentally dropping a parchment of paper, the other time he wouldn’t seem to care that she accidentally ate three golden plates. A whole month passed by and Volta decided that she had enough! She didn’t have the guts to confront Valerius herself, but she knew he had a soft spot for MC who was away at the moment.

She went to Karnassos, finding MC with ease. For a moment, she wanted to reasonably explain how Valerius was lashing out on her for no reason, but as soon as MC asked her what she was doing all the way here, she burst into tears, explaining in great detail how Valerius was treating her.

The two of them went back to Vesuvia, paying Consul a little visit. Volta decided to stay outside of his mansion, scared that Valerius might shout at her again.

MC went inside his bedroom, greeted by the sight of him finishing the second bottle of wine.

“Enjoying yourself, Consul?” MC asked as they leaned on the doors, enjoying the sight of Valerius in a loosened shirt with his hair let loose.

He nearly dropped his glass as he turned his head, seeing MC, “You, you’re back!” he walked up to them, hugging them as tight as he could.

“Say, Val,” MC said as they returned the hug, “What were you doing to Volta?”

It was that moment he knew, he fucked up.

**_Valdemar_ **

Valdemar has been reading a centuries-old research paper, trying to correct their past self as their mind wandered, thinking about MC for a moment. It’s been 2 whole weeks that they haven’t heard a thing from them. For a moment they focused on finding MC’s soul, sensing that it was somewhere in the middle of the sea. That explains it. But still, couldn’t they at least try to send them a letter? Humans have progressed so much for the millennial of their existence that they were sure they have come up with some way MC could send them a letter. How rude of them, making them worry about their safety…

They would have been petty a bit longer had Vlastomil not went all the way to them.

“You haven’t gone out of this place,” he gestured at the dungeon, “For weeks!”

“So? I don’t see a problem,” Valdemar simply stated, wanting to end this conversation as soon as possible.

“Nadia is pissed, you missed four of our meetings!”

“It’s not my first, nor my last time,” Valdemar said, trying to remember where they left their ink and quill.

“You should come outside for a bit to reassure Nadia that you’re alive.”

Valdemar thought about his words for a moment. There was some hypothesis in their old research that they needed to check once more.

“Very well then. I’ll grace all of you with my presence,” they said with a grin.

Three people went missing that day.

Valdemar found themselves in their dungeons once again, checking their hypothesis. They couldn’t enjoy it as much as they wished they could since the thought of MC plagued their mind. Did they leave just so that they could take a break off of them? Deep down, they knew that wasn’t true but just the thought of it enraged them.

Vlastomil came to the dungeons once again, which was disturbing Valdemar’s peace once again.

“Nadia wants to see you at the court meeting _immediately_ ,” he said as he remembered Countesses pissed off face.

“Oh, Countesses mailman is back,” they said bitterly, “Sharing Countesses demands which he cares _so_ deeply about,” they turned to Vlastomil, ignoring his terrified expression as he saw blood on them, “Very well then, I’ll greet the Countess since she _obviously_ doesn’t know what to do without me.”

And so they went along with Vlastomil, sitting right next to Volta as they completely ignored the stares of horror from their freshly bloodied clothes. They got even more irritated once they saw that there was no need for them to be here at all. Out of spite, they didn’t come to the next few meetings where their presence was necessary, so every time Vlastomil came down, they would be greeted by the sight of bloody Valdemar, having more malice in their eyes each time he visited them.

It was all because Valdemar got a bit irritated over time with MC. Sure, they finally received MC’s letter, but why did they have to make it so short? For the first time in a while, they genuinely cared about how MC spent their day, who they’ve seen, what food they ate, what they dreamed about two days ago. No matter how many letters MC could send them, it just never seemed to be enough.

They were frustrated by the thought, feeling like they might explode at any moment. As on cue, Vlastomil came downstair _again_.

“Valdemar-”

“Shut up,” Valdemar said, knowing they have no patience left, “Go back upstairs and _don’t_ return or else I’ll put your baby Wiggler on **this** ,” they slammed their hand on the dissection table, “Got it?”

Vlastomil ran upstairs, screaming like a little girl, deciding to find any way he could protect his beloved children. Through the gossips, Vlastomil finally concluded what was going on with Valdemar. With the help of his little children, he had no problem with finding MC’s whereabouts.

“MC,” he shouted as he tried his best to get to them, “MC you need to return to Vesuvia immediately!”

“Why?” they asked concerned, “Did something terrible happen?”

“Oh yes, it is terrible indeed!” Vlastomil said dramatically, “Valdemar has been spending days in their dungeons, cutting open whatever they could find!”

MC rolled their eyes, angry that Vlastomil made them worry over nothing, “Sounds to me like they were just acting like themselves.”

“You don’t understand! It’s far, far worse!”

“Right…” MC sighed, going away from Vlastomil but he grabbed their hand.

“They won’t be satisfied with dead bodies any longer! Think about my poor worms! Who knows what they could do to my poor children!” Vlastomil said, trying his best to explain to MC how the matter was serious.

“I don’t think about your worms. Ever,” MC sighed, hoping that Vlastomil would just shut up, “But I guess you won’t calm down unless I confront Valdemar…”

Valdemar heard someone go downstairs and, assuming that person was Vlastomil, they said, pissed, “Praetor, how many times do I have to tell you-” they stopped midsentence once they saw MC in front of them.

Even though MC couldn’t see it because of Valdemar’s surgical mask they were grinning from ear to ear. They’re _finally_ back.

MC wanted to exult on Valdemar, to tell them how they were right. They can’t take care of themselves without MC, and they know it, but they decided not to say that. The last thing they need is for Valdemar to get petty.

“Were you mean to others while I was away?” MC asked as they hugged Valdemar, tracing their spine with their fingertips, something they knew Valdemar loved.

“No,” they said as they ran their hands through MC’s hair, enjoying the scent of sea salt.

“Are you lying to me?” MC asked, looking at Valdemar straight in the eyes.

“Perhaps~,” they said with a mischievous grin.


	17. Main six cuddling with MC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another request! I'll write the version with the courtiers right after I finish all of the other requests.
> 
> Sorry that this chapter is short T^T

**_Asra_ **

After a long, long travel to Nopal MC and Asra only wanted to relax for a little bit. MC stretched as they felt Asra hug them from behind, giving soft butterfly kisses from shoulder up. Once they got to MC’s face, they turned it with their index finger, giving a passionate kiss which made MC’s face heat up. No matter how long the two of them had been together, this small act could always make MC heat up just like the first time the two of them kissed.

Asra slowly led MC to the bedroom, making them lay on top as Asra buried their head in their hair. They gently caressed MC, enjoying the silence. MC returned the gesture, their fingertips trailing over Asra’s jaw line until their hand finally got to Asra’s hair. Their fingers untangled Asra’s white locks with so much care, not wanting to hurt them. The two of them, as much as they enjoyed laying like this, knew that the luggages won’t unpack themselves. With a soft pout MC raised their head but Asra was quick enough to put it back down.

“Just five more minutes,” they muttered.

**_Nadia_ **

The palace was louder than usual, with Nadia holding another one of the courtier meetings. Once it was done, she regretted ever wanting to hold it in the first place. With her hair somewhat messy, she laid down on her bed, wanting to be left alone after such a tiring meeting. She got another headache and she didn’t want to be forced to see the courtiers any time soon. Just when she closed her eyes, a loud knocking could be heard.

"Vlastomil if it's another one of your suggestions about a worm care centre-" she stopped with the threats as she saw MC entering the room.

"Rough meeting?" they asked.

"Rough is an understatement," Nadia sighed, feeling her head pulse even more.

"MC," she said, "Could you please," she gestured at her head to which MC immediately laid next to her, letting her rest her head on their chest as MC got to work.

They never admitted it, but they had no clue what they were doing that was so helpful, but Nadia seemed to enjoy it and that's all that mattered.

"Yes, there," she said once MC got to the temples, enjoying every moment of MC’s not so professional massage.

MC nodded, returning their hands to that part of her head. As they were running their fingers in circles, they noticed a few grey hairs but didn’t want to mention it to Nadia. They knew it was a bit of a sensitive topic for her, even though it had no reason for it to be like that. No matter what she would be the most beautiful person to MC.

**_Julian_ **

Both MC and Julian got drunk at the Rowdy Raven so, once they returned to their home all they wanted to do was go to sleep and deal with the consequences later. Both of them flopped onto the bed, not even bothering to go beneath the blanket. In less than a minute, the two of them were sound asleep with a few snores here and there from Julian.

It was only in the early morning that the two of them woke up. It was such a cold morning and MC was shivering. As on cue, Julian laid their head on top of them, putting his hand on their stomach. MC stopped shivering, kissing Julian with a soft thank you and, still sleepy, run their fingers through his hair a couple of times before both of them fell asleep once more.

**_Muriel_ **

He has just lit up the fire, preparing to go to bed. Fatigue was taking over him from cutting down all that wood for winter. MC saw that in the way he sat in front of the fireplace, gently snoring, too tired to even go to the bed.

They quickly walked up to him, sitting on his lap. As on cue, he woke up, feeling his face heat up much more than it should.

MC giggled at that sight as they turned to him, trailing his abs from the stomach up. As soon as they would touch any scar, they would lean in, placing a gentle kiss to each and every one of them. Muriel let them do it and even though he’s too embarrassed to admit it, he enjoyed this gentle gesture which reminded him of how loved he is.

**_Portia_ **

MC knew that Portia had a busy day so they wanted to surprise her with making her favourite dessert - bread pudding. Once they were done, they didn't want to admit it, but they somehow they managed to burn the dessert. Just when they were debating on what they should do, they heard Portia come back from work. She could instantly smell the dessert, making her forget just how tired she was as she practically ran at the source of that smell.

Her face lit up once she saw what MC did for her. Once she was done eating, she put the plate down and went back to MC as she sat down on their lap, nuzzling her head in their chest.

“Spoil me more,” she said through giggles.

MC laughed as well but once they were done, they got to business. First, they took the headband off, it was just in the way. They took their sweet time as they untangled her ginger locks to which Portia only softly nodded in approval. Once they were done, they cupped her face in their hands, kissing every little freckle on her cheeks.

Portia only giggled to that, enjoying this to the fullest. After a while, she finally said, “You do realise you’ll never kiss all of them, right?”

“But I can try,” MC said as they continued what they were doing.

**_Lucio_ **

The party was finally done and all of the guests left, including Lucio and MC. They went into Lucio’s chambers and, just before MC was about to change, Lucio stopped them as he pulled them to bed, with MC laying on top of him.

“Don’t change just yet,” he said as he trailed over the expensive material, “You look _so_ gorgeous right now.”

MC’s face heated up at the comment, but they knew those words were nothing unusual. They could wear just about anything and Lucio would have given them just as much praise. With a soft smile, they placed gentle kisses all over his face. Once they were done, Lucio looked at them, laughing like an idiot.

“You got my make-up all over the face,” he said as he gently rubbed MC’s cheeks.

Once he was done he hugged MC, putting their head on his chest.

“I love you,” he said as he enjoyed MC’s company to the fullest.


	18. Valdemar with a cat

MC walked up to Valdemar in the dungeon, sitting next to them, “Dear, I have to travel, and I can’t bring Pepper with me…”

“I’m not taking care of that thing,” Valdemar said, not taking their eyes off the book.

“Please…” they clinged on their hand,” For me.”

Valdemar took a glance at MC’s adorable face, giving in, “Fine…”

“Thank you,“ Mc said, kissing them on the cheek,” I’ll give you all of her things. Trust me, you won’t even notice her. She sleeps most of the time. Also, you should feed her-”

“I know the basics. No need to tell me about that,” they simply stated, returning to their work.

“Oh, right. Once again, thank you so much,” MC said, hugging them, then getting more serious, ”Also, if I see on her a single stitch from the vivisection, you’re dead.”

“You’re no fun,” they pouted.

“I’m serious,” MC told them. Once they went into MC’s home, taking everything that one cat might need, MC kissed Valdemar once again, taking their backpack,” Have fun.”

As soon as MC was out of sight, Valdemar took a long look at the cat. Would MC be able to find the stitches? After a moment of thinking, they decided to drop the idea. They grabbed the cat, as well as the food and whatnot, carrying it to the dungeons.

Surprisingly enough, MC was right. The cat would sleep at the side most of the time and, once it was time for Valdemar to return to their estate, the cat would wake up. This was an amazing scenario and everything was going well, until Pepper woke one day in the dungeon, knocking down scalpels off the table.

Valdemar stared at the scalpels on the floor, then at the cat, “Why would you do that? What is wrong with you?”

“Mrrow.”

Valdemar sighed, picking up the scalpels, putting them on a higher place, trying his best to explain to the cat why it shouldn’t do that. For God’s sake, Valdemar might get in trouble even though they didn’t do anything!

Of course, Pepper just stared at them, loving that she finally got some attention from the Quaestor. As soon as Valdemar got back to their desk, they heard another loud bang. Pepper got to the scalpels, again.

“Stop it,” Valdemar said with venom in their voice. That seemed to have discouraged Pepper from being mischievous for the day, as she went back into her corner, purring until she fell asleep. Valdemar sighed as they watched the cat sleep, “I won’t even notice her…” they muttered MC’s words as they went back to work. Who knows how much time has passed when they’ve heard strange noises. They took a glance at the place where Pepper was asleep and, much to their surprise, she wasn’t there. Shit.

They stood up, feeling their patience running out, as they went to look for the cat. After a while, they found the cat under the table, scratching it with its claws, happily meowing once they saw Valdemar.

At the sight of what that little monster has done to the table, they sighed, hiding their face in their gloves. It took every ounce of their energy not to take the cat and throw it into the beetle pit. If only the cat was dumb enough to jump in it herself.

“Meow,” the cat purred once it was done scratching the table, walking up to Valdemar, purring as she nuzzled her head on their leg.

“Do you seriously believe this is enough to make me forgive you? God, why does MC even keep you?” they muttered as they grabbed the cat, putting it back on her small bed, “Don’t. Go. Anywhere.”

Thankfully, Pepper didn’t do much for the rest of the day. However, it is the next day where she went over the line. Valdemar was cleaning the scalpels, as always, and they noticed that the little freak was soundly asleep. After they’ve put the scalpels in the box, they silently left, looking for a new specimen for experimenting. Right after they’ve brought the unconscious victim in the dungeon, they noticed that the whole place looked like a mess. The ink was spilt all over their notebooks, and ink pawprints were everywhere. Some of the doctors’ suits were torn beyond repair, small pieces of fabric being all over the place. And in the middle of the whole mess was Pepper, half of her face black from the ink, happily meowing.

Valdemar dropped the man on the floor, walking to the cat, their head twitching in irritation. Pepper seemed to understand Valdemar’s ill intents as she quickly ran away from them.

“Get back, you bastard! Vulgora looks like a well-mannered person in comparison to you!” they shouted as they picked up their bone saw. Fuck MC’s wishes, they’ll get the identical cat.

They turned around, trying to find the cat, “Come, kitty, kitty,” they mused. After a while, they realized the cat was nowhere in sight, as well as that the specimen they brought is started to gain consciousness. That can’t do. They quickly picked the man up, strapping him on the least ruined table.

“Pspspsps,” they called out, looking for a small demon. Just as they were to pass one of the vivisection tables, they heard a small hiss. “There you are,” they said with a smile, extending their hand to grab the cat. However, the brave little demon just kept on hissing, scratching Valdemar’s hand. Valdemar sighed once again, as they walked to the Pepper’s bowl, putting on some cat food. After shaking the bowl for a couple of seconds, the cat was right next to them, almost as if she forgot everything that happened.

Valdemar put the bowl down, and just before Pepper was about to eat, Valdemar lifted her in the air, giving her a little shake. “LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE DONE!!! I can’t perform vivisection in these conditions,” they turned the cat to the whole dungeon, showing her the whole mess.

As much as Valdemar cared about the state of the dungeon, that much Pepper didn’t give a shit, instead, she found out that she quite enjoyed it when Valdemar gave her a little shake. She moved her paws left and right, imitating what Valdemar did to her moments ago. They stared at her the whole time, giving her another shake, to which the cat started purring.

“You’re a bigger moron than DR. 69,” They muttered, “I never thought there was someone who could best him in that…” they looked at the side, noticing their bone saw. No, they cooled enough not to kill her. They put her in one of the cages, locking the doors, “Don’t even think about-” they stopped midsentence as they saw the cat walk through the cage. They stared at the cat who was looking at them, meowing, as she cleaned her tiny paw.

Valdemar had enough of this monster’s bullshit. They took what was left of one of the doctor’s suits, tying the cat inside the cage, making it look like a wrapped newborn. They sighed, taking out the scalpels from the box. At least the cat didn’t knock- how the fuck did it get out?!? Valdemar stared at the cat, not moving an inch. Please, please, just leave. As if on cue, the cat stared at them, then at the strapped man, went into her corner, dropping onto her bed. It was indeed enough chaos for today.

As soon as Valdemar finished with their experiment and with cleaning the whole dungeon, it was time to rewrite days worth of research because some rascal decided it would be a fun idea to bathe in ink… Oh, the demon decided to wake up… great… Valdemar should wash her…

“Mrrow,” the cat purred as she walked on Valdemar’s legs, trying to get any type of reaction out of them, however, Valdemar was too focused on rewriting everything that they didn’t even notice when Pepper jumped on their lap. She got herself comfortable and, still without Valdemar noticing, fell asleep.

It was only once Valdemar was done writing that they noticed the little bastard sleeping on their lap. They sighed as they gently put the cat down on the chair, hoping she wouldn’t wake up. But she did. She turned her head to the Valdemar with a disappointed expression.

“Sleep somewhere else,” they simply stated as they put the papers away.

The cat meowed with so much sorrow in her voice that even Valdemar felt pity. They picked the cat up, carrying it around the dungeon, trying to comfort her. Pepper seemed to not be satisfied with the position, so she climbed on top of Valdemar’s shoulders, positioning herself right between Valdemar’s headpiece. Much better.

Valdemar wanted to do something about the cat, but couldn’t. They were too old to deal with this cat’s shit. And so that’s how Pepper was carried from dungeons to Valdemar’s estate.

Once they’ve washed the cat thoroughly, they went to their room. For the first time in centuries, they felt tired. They laid in their bed, unable to fall asleep as they stared at the ceiling. After a while, they felt something burying its claws deep in their skin. They shifted their gaze lazily as they stared at Pepper eye to eye.

She purred as she buried another pair of claws into Valdemar’s arm.

“Whatever,” Valdemar said with an exhausted sigh, “This is fine,” they shifted their gaze back at the ceiling.

At some point Pepper got tired of her antics as she unburied her claws, laying right on top of Valdemar. The morning came and, even though they didn’t close their eyes the whole night, it was time for Valdemar to get out of their bed. And they would have done so had Pepper slept somewhere other than on them. They knew what will happen if they dare move, so they continued to lie on the bed, hoping that the cat will decide to wake up soon. It seemed that their prayers were answered. Not even ten minutes later the kitten woke up, purring at the sight of Valdemar. They, on the other hand, put her on the bed as they finally got out, feeling somewhat refreshed. Once the two of them were in the dungeons the cat started scratching the doors of the elevator. Valdemar rolled their eyes as they grabbed the cat, going outside. But once they got there the cat stared at the scenery in front of her, deciding that she saw enough nature for today. However, Valdemar didn’t let her have her way this time.

“No,” they put the cat back outside, “You wanted to be outside so you’ll _stay_ outside,” they walked back to the dungeons, making sure the cat wasn’t following them. Just before the got into the library, Nadia greeted them.

“Good morning, Quaestor,” she said with a smile, “Perfect time for the court meeting.”

“Of course, Countess,” they said with a fake smile on their face.

Valdemar followed Nadia, sitting in their usual place as they zoned off, thinking about all of the possible errors in their research. They would have pondered about it a bit more had Vlastomil not shrieked so loudly. They lazily turned their head to him, then at the thing they were staring at. It was Pepper who happily put down a dead bird in front of Valdemar’s legs.

“For me?” they asked softly as the cat took the bird in its mouth, putting it in Valdemar’s hands. They were deeply touched by this act. Only MC gave them gifts.

They picked the cat up and, ignoring the judging stares from the rest of the court, went back into the dungeons. From that point on, Valdemar and Pepper were vibing. Valdemar would continue with their research, examining all of the specimen Pepper would bring them. On one occasion Pepper brought them Malak, but unfortunately, Julian came into the dungeons, taking him away. He never lets Valdemar have any fun…

Once MC returned to Vesuvia Valdemar found it hard to get separated from Pepper. They’d occasionally visit MC’s shop, letting Pepper nap on their lap as they read a book.


	19. Main six + courtiers with a drunk MC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scenario:
> 
> It be another Six+Couriers, with MC getting like completely shitface and their poor lover is trying to get them to bed and MC throws stuff at them yelling "Go away! I'm practically married!" and pretty much waxes poetry about their love, going on about things they love about them as well as weird little quirks they find adorable, all awhile their lover is torn between being deeply touched by this declaration and exasperation (or if they are of more questionable morals, pump MC for info like why they love them so much....or just wanting to hear MC praise them more).

**_Asra:_ **

****

After another one of Asra’s many travels, they finally got to go home. As they gently unlocked the doors, they couldn’t help but smell the familiar scent of alcohol in the shops. They brushed the thought off, thinking that MC may have just put it in as some of the spell’s components. Slowly they went upstairs, trying their best not to wake MC up. Much to their surprise, they saw the candle’s faint flame in the bedroom. They opened the door, expecting to see MC who has just forgotten to blow the candle out, only to see their beloved laying in bed, with an empty Nevivon vodka in their hand.

“MC,” Asra gently called out, taking the empty bottle and putting it on the side.

“What,” MC muttered, opening their eyelids just enough to see Asra, “I…”

“Shh,” Asra said, moving a loose strand of MC’s hair to the side, “Let’s just go to bed now.”

As soon as MC saw Asra try to take off their dirty shirt, they punched them as much as their drunk self could, trying to move further away from Asra.

“What are you doing? Stop it! I’m already with someone!”

“Yes…” they said, holding onto the place where MC punched them, ”With me.”

“ _No,_ I, I’m with Asra!”

“That’s me,” he said, confused as ever.

“No, no, _no_. You are not them, you are _not_ ,” they protested, trying to get as far away as they could, ”They are kind and loving and, and, _generous_ and that’s not you. They, they are so sweet and kind. They’re always there for me. They did so much for me and I, ”MC started weeping,” I would never be able to repay them.”

“They don’t want you to repay them,” they said, handing them over some tissues.

“I know that! But _I_ want to repay them,” they wiped off their tears,” I want to let them know that they can always rely on me, but it just seems like they never notice!”

“What do you mean?” they frowned, confused.

“It’s always like,“ they started to imitate Asra’s voice the best way they could, ”Don’t worry, I’ll open the shop, I’ll make breakfast, I’ll g to the market. It just feels like they’re overdoing themselves because of me,” more tears formed in their eyes.

“No, no, please don’t cry. I’m sure they don’t mind doing all of that for you.”

“Again, it’s not about what _they_ think, it’s about what _I_ think,” they said, trying their best to calm themselves down. Once they did, they said:

“I have no clue how you got into _our_ shop. Get out! I’ll, I’ll call the, the guards!”

Asra nodded, realizing it would be for the best if they went to sleep downstairs.

**_Julian:_ **

It was another night Julian and MC spent at Rowdy Raven. They had a great time drinking, dancing and singing many songs. Once Julian took a glance at the clock, he realised that it was enough for today. He grabbed MC’s hand and, upon seeing that they are drunk, lead them to his home.

Once they got home, Julian put MC down on a chair, touching the fabric of their shirt, “Isn’t this your favourite shirt?” he asked when he saw a huge stain from beer,” Don’t worry, it will be good as new once it’s washed,” he reassured them as he started to unbutton MC.

“What are you doing?” MC snapped at Julian.

“I’m trying to unbutton the shirt?” he said with clear confusion.

“Well stop it! Don’t you have any respect?!”

He was taken back by MC’s harsh words. “But MC, we’ve seen each other change multiple times.”

“What?” they said as they raised their head, staring at Julian in the eyes,” No, I’ve never seen you before in my entire life! Now get the fuck away from me,” they pushed Julian’s hand away,” I’m already with someone!”

“Ohh…” he said, realizing MC can’t recognize him,” You’re with Julian?”

“Yes,” MC slowly nodded,” Now get away from me!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll leave…” he went outside of the room, closing the door. Three seconds later he opened the doors once again,” Right before you answer a question.”

“Sure,” they said while trying their best to stay awake.

As soon as he had a green light, he started to talk to MC about all of his insecurities he couldn’t mention to them when they were sober, “Why are you with him? I mean, he’s, he’s a mess. Always hurting himself and others around him. He’s useless most of the time-”

MC interrupted them, staring at Julian with rage, “Are you the one who put these thoughts inside his head?”

“Well,” he thought for a moment,” Technically yes-”

“Don’t you fucking dare say that to my precious baby ever again!” they said, giving Julian the strongest backhand slap they could. ”Stay away from him!”

“I-“ he didn’t know what to say. All of his doubts about MC being with him just because they pity him vanished.” Alright. I will.”

**_Nadia:_ **

****

“Oh, would you look at that, the witch arrived,” Valerius said jokingly as he offered MC a glass. They shook their head as they sat across the Consul.

“No, thank you.”

“What? Scared of a glass of alcohol?” he raised his brow with a smirk,” Do witches make some unspoken vow to never drink perhaps? Or,” he gasped dramatically, “Have you never had a glass of wine?”

“Give me that,” instead of taking his glass of wine, MC took the bottle he held in his other hand. After a solid two minutes, the whole bottle was empty. ” See? I can drink!”

“You sure can,” his eyes widened as he stared at the empty bottle. Moments later, Nadia entered the room and Consul realized by the look on her face that now is not the time to explain how MC got into this state.

“MC, what is going on?” she asked as she took a glance at Valerius who quickly left as soon as he saw her, then at MC’s clothes,” Come on now, let’s get you changed.”

Once they were in her room she started to look through some of the clothes, “I’ll have to have a word with the Consul later. Come on now, MC, just,” she said as she showed her one of the expensive outfits she bought for them,” let me put this on for you.”

“Stop it. I’m already with Nadi,” they said as they covered themselves as much as they could.

“I know, but how is that connected to- oh,” she stopped for a moment, realizing what MC was implying.

“Please stop what you’re doing. I’m not interested,” they explained themselves.

“I, I see, I see,” she moved a bit away, trying her best to reassure MC,” It must be nice, being with a Countess.”

“Yes, she is such a dear!”

“I’m curious, what is she like?” she asked, wanting to know what MC thinks about her.

“Oh, she may look a bit strict, but she means well,” they started explaining, seeing how the person in front of them stopped whatever they were trying to do,” I like it how she always protects Volta from the rest of the court. She is always so kind to everyone. Oh,” they changed the topic,” And, have you seen her hair? It’s so majestic!”

“I, why yes,” she nodded, feeling flattered,” It’s beautiful, but do you have anything you dislike about her?”

“Oh, I sure do! She doesn’t want to reveal her secret!” MC said, pouting.

“What secret?” Nadia asked, wanting to find out her secret as well.

“She doesn’t want to give me her skincare routine! I always try my best to see what masks she wears, but I can never see her put on any!”

“Maybe she just doesn’t use anything?” she asked, knowing very well that, apart from a night cream, she doesn’t use anything.

“That’s impossible- well, maybe it is…” they thought about it for a moment.

Seeing how MC doesn’t have anything in particular to say, she wanted to kiss them and leave, but, before she did so, she realized that she may make MC uncomfortable. “I’ll leave now,” she said as she went on to look for Valerius to give him a piece of her mind.

**_Portia:_ **

“Mazelinka always brings the best whiskey, doesn’t she?”Portia said happily as she poured more whiskey in MC’s glass,” MC, hey??? Oh, you’re wasted,” Portia giggled as they lead MC to the bedroom,” Come on, it’s bedtime for you – oops,” she said once she accidentally knocked MC’s glass on them, staining the clothes,” Don’t worry, I’ll help you change.”

Once they got to the bedroom, Portia let MC sit on her wooden chair as they tried to take their pants off. Her attempts have been a failure since MC has been trying to get up, moving her hands away and so on.

“What- Mc, stop…” she said as she tried her best to make MC calm down,” struggling.”

“No, no, stop it, I don’t, I don’t want it.”

“MC as much as I love you I can’t let you sleep in that,” she finally gave up for a moment for her to explain herself,” You’ll ruin my sheets.”

“I’m already with Portia.”

“What…” she stared at them for a moment, wanting to tell them ‘obviously,’ but then, she figured out what was going on in MC’s dizzy head, ” OH… I, I see… you must love her a lot.”

“You don’t need to love someone a lot to not cheat on them…” MC said in a most annoyed tone, ”But yes, I love her a lot.”

“That’s so sweet of you…” Portia stared at MC, feeling like she could tear up for a moment.

“It’s not, really,“ Mc continued talking in the same annoyed tone, ” If I didn’t love her, I wouldn’t be with her.”

“Of course,” Portia nodded, getting a bit annoyed at how MC acted like a smartass,” But why do you love her?”

“First, look at her! She’s a fucking angel!”

“Aww,” she commented, feeling happy about MC’s description of her.

“Second, she knows so much…” they trailed off.

“But she’s a maid,” Portia explained, looking confused. She knew very well that she wasn’t the most informed person out there. She only learned how to read a couple of years ago!

“I meant as in cooking, sewing, knitting and so on,” MC counted on their fingers,” She’s so skilled! Isn’t that impressive?” they asked.

“It really is,” she nodded, wanting to drop the topic but MC continued talking.

“And most importantly, she can always make me smile.”

Portia felt her eyes getting glossier, but she didn’t want drunk MC to see her cry. MC was left all alone in Portia’s bedroom. She’ll buy new bedsheets, but now her precious MC needs sleep.

**_Muriel:_ **

Muriel has just done feeding the chickens when he entered his tiny hut, immediately noticing wasted MC on the small table.

“I guess my homemade rakija is too strong for you,” he joked as he walked up to MC, gently petting their head. Once he didn’t get any reaction from them, he started to get worried.

“MC… MC are you okay?” he asked as he slowly raised MC, who had an expression of a confused newborn.

“Mhm,” they responded, not having any energy to open their eyes.

“Wait, oh, you’ve spilt a bit of it…” he noted once he took a look at MC’s ruined shirt. He picked them up, putting them on the small bed next to the fire,” I, if it’s alright… I could take your, your clothes off,” he muttered the last part.

“WHAT? NO!” they shouted as they tried to move as far away as they could from Muriel, but to no avail.

“I, I understand, but you can’t wear that…”

“I can wear whatever the fuck I want!” they shouted as they covered themselves up in some blankets.

“Sorry…” he apologized as he moved a bit away from them, embarrassed that he even asked them that.

“You should be! That’s so disrespectful, I already have a boyfriend!”

“You… do?” he said, completely crushed. Of course, MC would have cheated on him,” Well, it’s not a surprise…”

“Yes, Muriel is the biggest sweetheart out there!” they proudly exclaimed, somehow managing to fall despite them sitting on the bed.

“Muriel…” he opened his mouth wide open. MC’s too drunk to even recognize him, ” You mean the scourge?”

“Why does everyone call him that?” MC pouted, trying their best to get out of the bed, but they failed miserably which resulted in Muriel helping them.” He did nothing wrong!”

“He killed many people…” he got more serious,” He could hurt you too, you know?”

”He could punch me and I’d thank him.” MC simply stated it, expecting the conversation to be over.

“W-What? But my,” he corrected himself,” his punches would be-”

“Do you seriously believe he’d hurt me?” they raised they eyebrows and, if they could raise their eyelids just a bit, they’d give Muriel a judging stare.

“Well, he could, accidentally.” He continued to explain.

“Bullshit. Now, leave me alone.”

Muriel didn’t know what to tell them so he left, leaving Inanna to guard MC. As for him, he crashed at Asra’s shop, having a sleepover party that Asra was way too enthusiastic about.

**_Lucio:_ **

“Oh my _GOD_!” Lucio shouted as he flopped on his bed, squealing like a little girl,” The party was just _amazing_ , right MC?” he raised his head above the pillows to see MC ba\rely keeping their balance,” MC??? Don’t tell me you got drunk from _champagne?!?_ ” he gasped dramatically as he walked over to them, letting them sit on the bed, ” Oh well, I’ll just take the clothes off for you.”

“What? No, no, no,” they moved his hands away from their clothes,” I’ll keep the clothes on…”

“Well, I mean, yes, you look gorgeous in it,” he said as he traced the expensive material on MC, ”But are you sure you’d be comfortable?”

“I’m sure,” they nodded, feeling sleepy, however, they seemed to ‘get to their senses’ as soon as they felt Lucio trying to take off their pants,” Hey, I said _no_. You’re disgusting!”

“WHAT?” he shouted, not knowing what to say. MC never minded changing in front of him, but why is it a problem now?

“I’m already with someone,” they whispered as they put their pants back on.

“Wait _what_?” he frowned, completely lost.

“Stop saying what all the time,” MC frowned as they nearly started crying,” it’s giving me a headache…”

“Who are you with?” he asked as he softened his voice a bit, trying his best to comfort MC.

“Lucio, the count,” they explained as they moved away from him,” Now get away from me before I start screaming.”

“Ohh, why didn’t you say so sooner,” he walked up to them but as soon as they opened their mouth, taking a large gasp, ready to scream, Lucio backed off a bit, ”It must be difficult to bear the count, right?”

“What? No, he’s, he’s,” they didn’t know how to describe his actions. Despite him always calling it oopsies, they knew that those mistakes were more than just an oopsie.” He’s fucked up before, but at the very least he realized what he did and he’s trying, you know?”

“Trying what?” he asked, genuinely wanting to realize what he’s been doing well.

“Well, to fix it,” they didn’t know what else to say as their head became heavier and heavier.

“But he didn’t do anything so far!” he protested as he thought about everything. He did hold some court meetings regarding the flooded district and he did give people some money to help them recover from everything but that’s still-

“You know, it’s much easier to destroy something than to fix it,” they yawned, looking down, ” Give it some time.”

“Well, guess that makes sense.”

“Mhm,” they nodded,” Now get out of here.”

“But-”

“ _Now,_ ” they said as they screeched as loud as they could. Some worried staff came right into the room, expecting the worst, but Lucio quickly told them off, explaining that everything is fine. He left MC alone, demanding to have one bedroom prepared for him immediately. How embarrassing, he got kicked out of his room.

**_Volta:_ **

“Oh MC, please, drink as much as you want!” Volta said as she refilled MC’s and her glass of alcohol. Once she was done with it, she noticed that MC isn’t waking up.” MC…” she pushed them a bit, then stopped, waiting for their reaction,” MC! Well,” she took a glance at the clock,” Volta guesses it is time to go to bed…”

With surprisingly lots of strength, Volta carried MC to their room. Once she found some more comfortable clothes, she turned to MC.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she said as she looked at MC who didn’t have a will nor strength to change at that moment,” Volta will help you with changing!”

“Wait, what are you doing???” MC said, worried, as Volta took off MC’s scarf.

“Taking off the clothes for you?” she responded, confused to why MC is reacting the way they are.

“I don’t want to take my clothes off, nor do I want to do such things,” MC explained as they wrapped the scarf around their neck,” I’m already with my precious little baby!”

“Um, you don’t have children?” she said, still just as confused as before.

“What? No!” they shook their head,” I’m with my tiny little Volta!”

“But… that’s me!” she pointed at herself.

“No, my Volta is shorter!” they said, not knowing that, because they are sitting, Volta is appearing shorter in front of them.

“Um…” she genuinely had no clue on what to do, so she just decided to go along with it,” Makes sense. What else can you tell me about Volta?”

“She, she is such a precious little bean!” they said with tears forming in their eyes,” She is so kind! But, but nobody talks about it, only about how she eats a lot,” they burst into tears,” Why are people so cruel?”

“Oh, it’s,” she handed them her handkerchief,” It’s okay, Volta is used to it.”

“That’s exactly why it’s _not_ okay!” they shouted as they wiped off their tears,” She never shouts, nor gossips like other courtiers, she just eats and yet people are still mean!”

“Well, many people are like that,” she started explaining as she handed MC another handkerchief.

“But that doesn’t make it okay. Volta needs to fight more for herself!”

“Maybe you’re right,” she said, knowing that she could save a fortune if Valerius stopped pouring wine on her. She could buy so much food with all of those savings. She left MC alone in their room as she went back to her dining room, imagining how nice it would be to not get shouted on.

**_Vlastomil:_ **

****

“Oh, MC, you’re late, oh so very late! Wriggler got so tired waiting for you that she fell asleep. MC?” he started shaking them, trying to get out any type of reaction,” MC!!!” it was at that moment that he smelled alcohol,” Oh, I forgot you humans have low tolerance on alcohol. Come, MC, let’s go to bed now.”

“Get your slimy hands off me!” they said once they got into the bedroom, trying their best to cover themselves up.

“They’re not slimy…” he stared at his own hands with a frown,” Why are you so rude to me?”

“Why am _I_ rude? You’re the one who’s trying to… to… “ they forgot the word for it, so they just continued the sentence, ”Even though I am already with someone!”

“I’m trying to-“his frown got even deeper as he tried to decipher MC’s thought,” OH… Well, I wasn’t.”

“And I should take your word for it?” they asked, raising their eyebrow.

“Well, yes.”

“No way.”

“But it’s the truth,” he started explaining,” I just want to take these dirty clothes off-”

“See? You have ill intentions!” they shouted, trying their best to get away.

“I don’t! Let me just- stop struggling!” he said as he started to take off MC’s clothes,” Wait, why are you crying now??? Okay, okay, I’ll stop, just, please don’t cry.”

“This was all a terrible, terrible idea,” they sobbed as they put their clothes back on.

“What idea?”

“I just, I just wanted to see if he would care, even a bit,” they continued sobbing,” He only pays attention to his worms.”

“Is that how you feel?” MC nodded as they wiped off their tears.

“Oh, that’s terrible, terrible!” he hugged them, to which MC surprisingly didn’t punch him,” You shouldn’t feel like that. He loves you!”

“No, he loves his worms,” they looked down,” I’m just going to be around until he gets bored.”

“It’s not like that. He loves you. You’re his favourite human!” he reassured them, trying his best to show them how he feels.

“Even if it’s true that doesn’t mean much when he isn’t showing it in any way,” they sulked as they started to cry even more.

Vlastomil didn’t know what to say. He never thought he was being neglectful to MC. Well, now that he thought about it, he may have spent a lot more attention on his worms lately. Well, that needs to change. Once he was sure MC was sound asleep he went into Wriggler’s room, trying his best to come up with any ideas on how he’ll make MC feel loved again.

**_Vulgora:_ **

"MC you never told me you can drink this much," Vulgora laughed as they carried drunk MC back to their estate.

For the first time in a while, they were gentle as they walked on their tiptoes, trying their best not to disturb MC. Once they got to Vulgora's bedroom they put MC down on their bed, trying their best not to scratch them with their gauntlets. They were looking through the wardrobe, trying to find some clothes for MC; the ones they wore were dirtied by the alcohol and whatnot.

Once they found one of their red shirts they walked back to the bed, noticing that MC was somewhat awake. Vulgora was happy because of this, believing that it would be easier to change awake MC, however, that soon proved to be false. MC always seemed to wriggle, moving the red bedsheets over Vulgora's head as they tried their best to get away from Vulgora.

"Don't struggle so much!" Vulgora said frustrated as they pulled the bedsheet off their head.

"Get away from me!" MC shoved Vulgora's hand away, trying to get up from the bed, but to no avail.

"Stop it! I'm already with someone!"MC said as they sat back down on the bedsheets, trying to cover themselves as best as they could," They'll beat your ass when they come."

"What?!? Are you CHEATING on me?!?" Vulgora shouted, only seeing red in front of them. Oh, that poor, unfortunate soul. They're done for once Vulgora finds them.

"I've never been with you!" MC frowned, calming down a bit," I'm with a brave warrior... they're also a..."

Vulgora couldn't believe what they were hearing. Did the relationship the two of them had meant so little to MC? Still, they decided to push back the feeling of betrayal. They'll deal with the bastard MC is with first. "Tell me their FUCKING name!" 

MC cowered for a moment, but once Vulgora was done shouting, MC continued talking: "V...V..." as much as they tried to remember their lover's name, the letters seemed to evaporate right in front of them. After a moment they gave up. Instead of the name, they wanted to tell them the profession, but it seemed like they couldn't remember even that, so they said the closest thing that they could remember. "They're a pope."

"A pope?!?" Vulgora stared at MC in disbelief. They knew each and every pope and all of them were at least eighty. Most of them had grandchildren for God's sake! 

"No, not a pope..." they shrugged as they waved their hand left and right, trying to remember. It was a higher position than a pope, it's a... "pontifex! They're a pontifex!" They said proudly once they remembered," Wear only red, you can't miss them."

Vulgora was silent for a moment and the only thing that could tell off their emotions was the sparkle in their eyes. MC didn't cheat on them. Wait, did they describe Vulgora as a brave, warrior? Their eyes sparkled even more.

"Oh... could you tell me more about that pontifex?" They leaned forward, wanting to hear more words of praise.

"They're always shouting and challenging people to a battle, you know?"

"And?"

"And... they are so, so..." MC forgot the word to use, so they tried their best to flex with their nonexistent muscles.

"Strong?" Vulgora asked.

"Mhm. They can beat up anyone!" MC exclaimed happily.

Vulgora puffed their chest with pride. Still, it wasn't enough, "Something more?"

"Well..."MC stopped for a moment to think. After a while, they finally said," I like their laugh. They laugh like... like this!" MC tried to imitate them, but they failed almost immediately. The sound they made was nothing like a laugh, it sounded more like a cry before death as they choked on air, then coughed.

Upon seeing this mess, Vulgora couldn't help but laugh their ass off, not being able to get a breath.

"Yeah, like that!" MC said happily as they still coughed in between words.

Vulgora wanted to ask more, but the odour of alcohol was unbearable. MC desperately needed to change. Vulgora picked up their shirt and wanted to change MC once more, but MC still kept on struggling.

"Get away from me!"

Vulgora rolled their eyes, knowing that they's have to sleep in the guestroom."Ugh... fine..." before they left the room they took all of their weapons off the walls, making sure that MC won't get hurt during the night.

**_Valerius:_ **

"I always thought a witch would have a better alcohol tolerance than this," Valerius said as he sat in his carriage with MC's head on his lap who was muttering some nonsense.

He gently pats their head when they complained about their headache, praying that they won't throw up on his expensive clothes. Once they got in front of their estate, Valerius waited until a maid opened the doors. He helped her with getting MC out, however, as for the carrying, the duty fell completely on the poor maid.

"Should I change them?" She asked through huffs another servant came to help her.

"Yes," Valerius nodded, letting the servants carry MC to the bedroom. 

As for him, he went to his library, slowly walking to his desk and even though he'd rather not, went to finish some of the work from yesterday. It was at the moment when he finally focused on his work, trying to figure out how did the count succeed to waste so much money on a coat, that he heard MC's faint cries for help.

"Get away! Get away!" There was a short pause, accompanied by the sound of glass shattering, "Someone help!"

Confused, Valerius left the library, knocking on the bedroom doors.

"Is there a problem?" He wanted to get in but stopped at the sound of another glass breaking. After a moment, the servant went outside, barely closing the doors after themselves.

"They don't want to get changed," the servant explained.

"Ugh," Valerius rolled his eyes, as he opened the door," Move, I'll do it."

The two of them only nodded, leaving him and MC alone once they took the larger chunks of glass off the floor.

"Stop it," MC shouted, not letting Valerius take their shirt off, "What's with you people?"

Valerius backed off for a moment, looking for wine. He drank it straight from the bottle because MC broke all of the glasses, "I swear, you're impossible to work with," he put the bottle down with a sigh, Let's just get over this."

"Fuck off!" MC shouted as they lazily looked for anything they could throw at Valerius, "I, I'm already with someone!"

"Oh, really? With whom?"

"With Consul!" 

Valerius was silent for a moment. So, MC can't recognise them. Who would have guessed that four glasses of champagne did this to a person? With an evil smirk, he stated at MC. He will use this opportunity well.

"So you're just with him because of the money?" He started talking plainly, waiting for MC's response.

"What? No. Do you think I'm with someone because of that?" MC frowned as they picked up one of the pillows, throwing it straight at Valerius," My shop is not as busy, but I can live off my money just fine."

"I see..." he silently groaned in frustration as he caught the pillow. How can a drunk person have this much strength? Probably one of the witch's abilities. He chuckled at the thought as he continued talking," It's just that he is a bit-"

"Cocky? Always has something to say?"

Even though he didn't want to say it, he still talked through his teeth, "...yes."

"So what? He is all bark and no bite," MC stopped walking away from Valerius for a moment to take a break.

"I... see...” he frowned, salty from the comment,” So then what's the reason you're with him?"

"Let's see...” they started counting on their fingers,” Firstly, even though he acts like a little bitch from time to time he can comfort me when I need it the most, secondly, I enjoy his company,” after a short pause they added,” Also, they are dedicated about their job. I love that part of him."

He blinked twice, surprised by the last statement, "What about the flooded district?"

"What?" they asked lazily.

"What about it? He failed to-"

"Oh shut up! You sound just like him...” they rolled their eyes,” If you truly cared that much about the flooded district, why didn't you do anything about it?"

"But it's his job-" he persisted.

"Just shut up. I'm not in the mood to argue and I know that you are well aware of the state the city was in back then."

"I...” he thought for a moment about everything MC said,” I guess you are right."

"Of course I am. Now get out of my sight before I call the galls!"

"You mean guards?" he irked a brow, smiling at MC.

"Same thing."

**_Valdemar:_ **

Valdemar was reading some books in their library when they noticed MC falling on the floor in front of them.

“Oh my, what do we have here, MC?” they picked them up, smelling alcohol as they carried them to the bedroom. Once they were sure that MC didn’t get any bruises from the fall, they went looking for spare clothes.

“What would you do without me?” they happily mused as they picked MC up, unbuttoning their shirt.

“Eek! What do you think you’re doing?” they moved their hand away.

“Taking your dirty clothes off,” they said as they continued to unbutton their shirt,” Now, If you’ll excuse me-”

“Stop it! I’m already with someone!” they tried their best to move as far away from Valdemar as they could, ” You’re disgusting!”

“Oh, really now?” they tilted their head, realizing that MC may have drunk more than they should,” And with whom might you be?”

“Valdemar.”

“What a…” they thought for a moment, thinking about all of the questions they could ask,” terrible choice…”

“What did you say?” MC frowned, rage building up inside them.

“It’s just that…” they trailed off, enjoying this interrogation,” Why them of all people?” they asked innocently.

“Why not?”

“They could easily kill you in your sleep,” Valdemar explained something they considered common knowledge.

“If they wanted to, they would have done so already,” MC sat on the bed, not taking their eyes off of Valdemar.

“Well,” they tilted their head as they thought about MC’s statement.” I suppose that makes sense… but what about their…” they tried to think of the way the common folk would describe them,” odd habits?”

“What odd habits? Dissection?”

“Yes,” they nodded.

“Honestly, as long as there’s nothing alive on the dissection table, I don’t mind,” they said, feeling their eyelids get heavy.

Valdemar stared at them for a moment, nodding as they made a note in their head to never, _ever_ let MC into the dungeons.

“Well, thank you for sharing this valuable information. I’ll leave now,” they said, leaving the room with their footsteps barely audible as they closed the door after themselves.


	20. Main six + Valdemar when someone breaks into the shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from tumblr!  
> Scenario:  
> Im not sure if you’re taking requests right now, so answer this whenever you’re ready 🧡 a could you do the main 6 when someone breaks into MCs shop trying to steal or something? but they happen to be there in the nick of time to catch them in the act and scare them off. And maybe for some comedic relief Julian being silly decides to “break in” to the shop for old times sake but he finds another person climbing in through an opposite window ? Pretty please ✨

**_Asra:_ **

Asra spent their evening cleaning the shop alone. MC would have helped them but they were sick, leaving all of the job on Asra. They reorganized the crystals and, just before they were about to put on new potions on the display, they heard rattles on the lock of the doors. As on cue, they hid behind the counter, peeking through the corner. A short girl entered the shop, taking all of the crystals she could find. Asra didn’t know whether they should laugh or cry at the sight. She must be new in the ‘business’ since the crystals and gems are the cheapest products in the shop.

They pondered for a moment on what they should do and finally, once they saw Faust happily slithering on one of the shelves, they decided to have some fun. With the help of their magic, they slammed the entrance door, locking it. The intruder jumped at the noise and, once she’s seen what happened, she called out: “Hello, is anybody there?”

She felt a cold sweat run down her chin as she saw all of the crystals in the shop drop on the floor, slowly making their way to her.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait,” she shivered as she ran to the entrance doors, trying to unlock it, ”I, I’m sorry,” she picked up her pace, shaking the doorknob as she felt some of the gems run up her leg.

“Intruder!” Faust shouted as she fell on the girl’s head who was too paralysed in fear to do anything.

Asra tried their best to suppress the giggle, deciding that they’ve messed with her as they unlocked the doors. Once the girl could have opened them, she ran out as fast as she could. Faust happily slithered up Asra’s leg.

“Good?”

“You were amazing!” they said as they picked Faust up, giving her a small boop on her head.

**_Julian:_ **

Julian stood in front of the doors of MC’s shop as he looked for the keys in his pockets. Oh, you know what? Fuck it! He’ll surprise MC in the good old way! He walked up to one of the windows, opening it with ease. Just as he put one of his legs in the shop, he saw another man doing the same right in front of him.

“Didn’t know I’d get a colleague,” he joked, “Say, do you know by any chance where the shopkeeper keeps their valuables?”

Julian blinked twice, staring at the man across him. He went into the shop, and, with a laugh, helped the man get in as well.

“Of course I know,” he said as he pats the man’s back. Just as the intruder laughed along with him, he felt Julian’s hand on his neck, “They’re my lover.”

Before the man could do anything, Julian punched him right across the face. Somehow the guy managed to move away from Julian, trying to get out of the shop. Just when he was in front of the window, Julian threw one of the boxes, knocking the guy out.

“Shit,” Julian said as he walked up to the man, checking his pulse. Once he was sure the man was alive, he let out a sigh. Luckily, he saw a guard walk by the street and, with their help, Julian got the intruder out of the shop. Two days after the incident, Julian bought MC a thoughtful gift - locks for the windows.

**_Nadia:_ **

Nadia was taking a walk to MC’s shop, wanting to surprise them. True, she didn’t dress appropriately, she was returning from hunting after all, but that didn’t bother her and she knew that wouldn’t bother MC either. She went into the shop without knocking and, much to her surprise, MC wasn’t there, instead, there was someone she didn’t recognize. To top it all off, they were putting all of MC’s potions into their bag.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She asked, feeling her blood boil at the sight.

“I-uh, Countess, I, I can explain!” they said as they put down the potion they held in their hands.

“Doubt it,” she frowned, resting her hand on the guard of the sword, “Put it all back. Don’t you have any shame to lie to my face?”

They’ve seen that there is nothing more they can do, so they turned to their last option- begging Countess for forgiveness. She, on the other hand, didn’t want to hear any of that, so, she called the guards who took them away.

Needless to say, MC sure was surprised when they saw that their doors were completely replaced with a modest number of 5 locks.

**_Portia:_ **

With freshly baked cookies cooling off on the plate, Portia was just about to wash the pan it was baked in. She carefully carried the pan with a rag, trying not to burn herself when she heard the doors unlock. Thinking it was MC who opened it, she ran to the front of the shop, still holding onto the pan.

“MC, guess what-” she stopped midsentence as she saw an unfamiliar man standing in front of her.

He wasn’t expecting anyone in the shop and, had he seen MC, he’d run away. So he didn’t run away when he saw Poria.

“Just stay there and nobody has to get hurt,” he said as he was filling in his bag with all of the goods.

Portia’s blood boiled at the sight of him. The audacity of this fucker! Without even thinking, she ran to him, hitting him straight across the face with the hot pan.

“Stand still and nobody has to be hurt, huh?” she shouted, not even thinking about stopping with all of the hits, “How do you like this, fucker?” she kept on hitting the man who was screaming in pain, “What, is it too hot for you?” she kept going on and on until she thought it was enough.

The intruder was, ironically, saved by the guards who heard his screams. The look on their faces was priceless when they listened Portia explain how _he_ was the one in the wrong and not her, who completely scarred his face with all of the burns.

**_Muriel:_ **

MC wanted to go to the marketplace, however, Muriel was not so keen on that idea, so he stayed behind, waiting for MC to return. He sat on the counted as he made some protection trinkets when he heard the entrance doors open. He raised his hand off his work, only to be greeted by an unfamiliar figure who held a knife in front of themselves.

“Don’t move, or else!” they threatened, feeling uneasy as they stared at Muriel who was much, much taller than them.

Muriel frowned, staring straight into the intruder as if he was ready to kill him at any moment. Inanna took the hint and she started growling at the person, slowly walking forward.

“I- uh, nevermind,” they said, running out of the shop.

Muriel only smiled. Being tall had its perks. He stood up, putting the protection trinket on the doors.

**_Lucio:_ **

Lucio walked straight out of the marketplace with a gift for MC. New Masquerade will be held in two weeks and Lucio already bought matching costumes for MC! This time, however, he put a bit more thought in what MC’s taste is like, so, much to his dismay, there is not enough gold this time.

That smile immediately disappeared once he saw a girl lockpick the doors of MC’s shop. He tried his best to sneak up to her. Once he was towering over her, he flipped her, forcing her to face him.

“And what are you doing here?” he asked as he took her sword out.

“I-” before she could say anything, Lucio pushed her aside.

“Run.”

Happy that she wasn’t in trouble, she ran for her life. Little did she know that Lucio ordered the guards nearby to go after her, making sure that she’ll get the highest possible punishment later.

**_Bonus: Valdemar ~~because I love them more than I should~~_ **

Valdemar patiently waited in the shop for MC to return from the marketplace. They took some books that were on the shelf, flipping through the pages, trying to find anything interesting. It was only when someone slammed the doors open that they raised their head.

A tall, large man went inside the shop, armed with a sword. He was taken back when he saw Quaestor staring into his soul. Before he could say anything, Valdemar said: “Three.”

The man frowned, “Three what?”

“Two.”

The man’s eyes widened, realizing what Valdemar was implying. Without looking back, he ran out, not knowing that it was already too late for him – Valdemar has already remembered what he looks like. Looks like Valdemar will have a new experiment this Thursday.


	21. Courtiers' singing voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request from Tumblr!

**_Volta:_ **

MC had just finished making French toast for Volta. Once she spread some jam over it, they walked up to Volta’s room on their tiptoes, wanting to surprise her. Turns out they were the one’s surprised as they’ve heard Volta sing for the first time.

MC immediately recognized that the song was from one of the musicals held last week in the theatre. Tiny Volta was trying her best to sing in tune but failed. She couldn’t sing low tones even if her life depended on it and her high notes were way too high-pitched. Even though she lacked the skills, her voice was pleasant to listen to.

“Boo,” MC said as they walked behind her.

She stopped singing, letting out an ungodly shriek, “MC, you scared me!” she pouted, looking down, embarrassed that MC heard her sing.

“Oh, come on,” they pat her head, placing the plate in front of her, “You can’t sing on an empty stomach.”

She wanted to comment on how her stomach is always empty but, once she’s seen the food in front of her, she thanked MC, devouring French toast in milliseconds.

**_Vlastomil:_ **

****

MC laid in their bed, expecting Vlastomil to return anytime soon. He was supposed to tuck the worms in bed, so what was taking so long? They decided to check for themselves. Their footsteps were barely audible in the dark hallway as they walked to the only room with lit candles. They slowly walked as they heard something unusual. It was Vlastomil crying. MC wanted to walk up to him to see what was wrong, but then they heard him talk. No, he wasn’t talking, he was… singing?

They leaned on the wall, trying to hear him better. He was singing a lullaby, most likely to Wriggler. His voice was so soft as he tried his best to put his favourite child into slumber. Seeing Wriggler in such a calm state as she trusted Vlastomil with her whole life made something in Vlastomil soften. He kept on singing nonetheless, tearing up with each syllable that escaped his lips.

MC didn’t know whether they should be laughing or crying. They just stared at Vlastomil who was singing and crying at the same time. Too bad, had he not been crying, maybe his singing skills could be heard.

**_Vulgora:_ **

MC has just returned from their shop as they finished their shift. It felt to them like the bedroom was calling them, begging to go to sleep and MC would have happily obliged had they not heard some strange noise in Vulgora’s room. MC slowly walked, trying their best to see what was going on. Surprisingly enough, they saw Vulgora sharpening their weapons while singing.

MC has never heard such a song before, but, assuming from the lyrics, it seemed like it was some sort of war song. Their voice was rough as they practically screamed the whole song. No wonder why their voice is always so rough.

“Oh, you’re back,” they stared at MC as they stopped sharpening the blades, “It was about damn time!”

They know MC’s heard them sing but they don’t give a damn.

**_Valerius:_ **

****

MC was rolling in their bed, trying to find Valerius, however, it seemed like he was nowhere to be found. They lazily opened one of their eyes, finding him on his desk, writing something down as he muttered some words. Upon listening better, MC realized that he was singing.

He never told them he could sing and MC couldn’t figure out why. He hit all of the notes just right and MC believed that their deep voice was made for singing. They didn’t know which song he was singing, but they didn’t care. He could sing just about anything and MC would still love it.

“You sing so well,” MC said before they fell asleep with an image of blushy Valerius in their mind.

**_Valdemar:_ **

MC was walking downstairs, trying their best not to trip and fall. Once they were in the elevator, they covered their ears, unable to bear the creeks of the cogwheels. Something needs to be done about it.

They were just about to tell that to Valdemar, but they stopped midtrack because they heard something strange in the dungeons. In fact, it was the first time they heard anything in there. They recognized Valdemar’s voice, but they couldn’t recognize a word they were saying. The language was completely foreign to them. What was even more foreign was that Valdemar was _singing._ They hit all of the tones perfectly, both high pitched and low ones. What’s even more absurd is that they sang the whole song, even the parts where it was obvious that two or more people needed to sing. They were s good that it was _terrifying_

“Oh, you’re here. My apologies, I haven’t noticed,” they said as they gave MC a toothy grin. They were lying. That bastard couldn’t have not heard the elevator. They just wanted to flex their skills a bit. Their red eyes stared at MC’s soul, waiting for praise that they deserve.


	22. Main six + courtiers in Hell's Kitchen AU with MC as Gordon Ramsey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, sorry for being absent for so long. Besides the school starting, there have been some things going on in my private life that didn't really motivate me to write. I can't post new chapters every week like usual, but I'll try to post as frequently as I can. Sorry for not doing any of the requests. I had this chapter as a wip for a while, so I decided to finish it. Hope you enjoy it!

**_Previously on Hell’s Kitchen:_ **

_Chef MC tasted the contestants’ signature dishes and, needless to say, they were not pleased._

“How can you serve me this garbage!?!” MC shouted, “I wouldn’t feed a stray dog with this crap!”

_Both teams had problems in the kitchen_

“You moron, what are you doing?” Nadia asked, frowning like a madman, “Where is the chicken?”

_And one team had a little throwback because of one of the cooks_

“Volta, what in the world are you _doing_?” MC shouted, not believing their eyes, “That food is for **the customers**!”

_But now all of that is set aside as the new day and new opportunities arise. Will the chefs be able to rise to the top and win the luxurious restaurant in Vesuvia, or will they crumble at the pressure?_

“I want to go back home,” Portia sobbed as she hugged her knees, “I miss my grandma.”

“Wake up sleepyhea-” one of the MC’s sous-chefs, Scout, stopped midsentence as she stared at Valerius’ bed.

He woke up as he rubbed his eyes, feeling like his head is a lot lighter. As soon as he put his head on the sheets he felt something strange. He lowered his head, only to be greeted by the sight of his braid cut off, right next to him.

“My deep apologies for the inconvenience,” Valdemar said as they put a pair of scissors down, walking out of the room to change, “I just can’t have some of your hair in the food we prepare, so I had to make some sacrifice,” they grinned from ear to ear as they stared at Valerius’ pale face, “Oh, don’t you worry, It’ll grow back before you know it.”

****

“Good morning everyone!” MC said as they watched all of the chefs come into the room, “Oh, Valerius, nice hairstyle!” they chuckled as they stared at him who still hasn’t recovered from the trauma, “Who did your hairstyle? I must say I’m quite impressed.”

“Valdemar, they, I, I was sleeping and, and, that _plebian_ -” he was interrupted midsentence by Valdemar.

“No need to thank me, for my _dearest_ colleague it’s free of charge,” they smiled, enjoying Valerius’ reaction.

“Anyway,” MC said, as they walked up to one table, “Today I will be seeing how good your pallets are and,” their gaze flew over Valerius, Vulgora, Nadia, Lucio and Portia, “Judging by how many smokers are here, my expectations are low,” they turned their head to Julian, “Sit this round out.”

Julian nodded as he walked to the back.

“Valerius, Nadia, come here,” they took blindfolders and headphones, putting them on the two of them, “Can you hear me?” MC shouted at the two of them, “Good, now,” they took a plate of foods from Scout, “Let’s begin, shall we?” they raised one spoon, putting it into Nadia’s mouth, “Boiled potato.”

“Is this pepper?” Nadia asked after she swallowed the potato.

MC raised one of Nadia’s headphones, saying: “Boiled potato.”

They walked over to Valerius, who wasn’t lucky enough to guess either. Surprisingly enough, Nadia, as well as Valerius, both guessed all of the exotic foods right, with Nadia bringing 2 and Valerius bringing one point to their team.

Next, it was Vlastomil’s and Asra’s turn. Vlastomil guessed all of the vegetables and fruits, while Asra only recognized a date as well as ham, however, Vlastomil got a heart attack as soon as he realized he ate meat.

“ _But I’m vegan!_ ” he shouted.

“Still, you’re not cooking for vegans!” MC explained, “You just have to know what you’re cooking, I don’t give a fuck what you eat.”

Overall Asra got 2 and Vlastomil got 3 points.

Now it was Valdemar’s and Lucio’s turn. MC hesitantly put the food in Valdemar’s mouth, trying their best to avoid those sharp teeth.

“Brocolli. Pear. Tangerine. Lamb’s brain,” Valdemar simply stated after they’ve tasted all of the food.

“Wow,” MC said, “Impressive.”

Lucio, on the other hand, wasn’t as good.

“Um, broccoli, this, this is an… apple. Oh, I know what this is, it’s orange! This, this tastes like bacon!”

“Not even close,” MC said as they took off his headphones, “Go back in your line. Portia, Vulgora, come here.”

Portia, just like Valdemar, guessed all of the food right, Vulgora half as much.

“Now it all comes down to this,” MC said as they put on headphones.

Volta guessed 2 right, but Muriel guessed all of them!

“The six of you have just barely won!” MC said, “Change your clothes, I’m taking all six of you somewhere special. As for the five of you,” MC gestured at the brooms, “I want this place crystal clear!”

“Yes, chef!”

_While the winners prepared themselves to finally go outside, the losing team went straight on to cleaning the hell’s kitchen._

“Wonder where we’ll go?” Portia said as she walked with Nadia outside.

“Honestly, any place is better than here,” she commented as she lit her cigarette, offering Portia one.

She happily took it and, once Nadia lit it for her, continued, “He told us to put on swimsuits, maybe a beach?”

“I sure hope it is!” Lucio said as he walked up to the two of them, to which Nadia only rolled her eyes.

“I can’t believe I was put in the same team as my ex-husband!” Nadia frowned at the camera, clearly pissed.

****

“Is everyone ready?” MC asked as they watched the other three walk out of the hell’s kitchen.

“Yes, chef!” the six of them said in unison.

“Very well then, let’s get going,” MC said as they gestured to a luxurious limousine.

****

“Finally!” Lucio puffed his chest as he stared at the camera, “A car worthy of me!”

****

“Can you guess where we’re going?” MC asked the six of them.

“To the beach?” Portia and Nadia guessed.

“No, but you’re close,” MC said as they stared at others.

“A pool?” Muriel asked.

“Nadia and Portia were closer.”

“To the yacht?” Julian asked.

MC smiled and, with a small nod said: “You’ve guessed it!

****

“Oh my gosh, this will be just like my childhood!” Portia happily exclaimed, “The wind blowing through my hair, the smell of saltwater in the air…” she rambled on and on, “Ohh, I can’t wait!”

****

“Can you imagine what the five of them are doing right now?” Mc asked as they sipped on champagne.

“Oh, I definitely wouldn’t want to be in their shoes,” Julian added as he finished his glass.

“Alright, now that that’s out of the way,” Valdemar said as they put the brooms in their place, “We need to make a strategy on how to win.”

“We would have won, had someone not guessed only 2 foods right,” Valerius said, eyeing Volta not so discreetly.

“Who are you to talk?” Vulgora said, getting annoyed, “You only guessed one right! You did the worst out of all of us!” it seemed that it was enough to shut Valerius up, but Vulgora continued, “And you! How did you not recognize _ham_ of all things?”

“Because I’m vegan!” Vlastomil shouted, clearly offended.

“This can’t do,” Valdemar said with a frown, “Let’s get one thing straight,” they started talking right after the four of them shut up, “We don’t like each other,” to that all of them nodded, “But the only way we can stay in this competition is to make sure that those six are the ones who always lose.”

“Makes sense,” Vulgora said.

“So you propose that we get rid of 6 of them first?” Valerius asked.

“Exactly, then we can deal with each other later,” Valdemar nodded and, after a short pause, added, “Oh, also, I have no wish to win this competition.”

“WHAT?” the other four asked, not believing what they heard.

“You see, I have absolutely no knowledge about cooking, at all, as a matter of fact, I’m a surgeon.”

“Why did you get here then?” Vlastomil asked, confused.

“Because I made a bet with my colleague, that ginger guy in the opposite team. If I were to get further in this competition than him, he’d have to buy me three rare specimens for my research, but if he were to win I’d have to get him 30 jars filled with leeches,” they finished their sentence, rolling their eyes.

“So, what you’re saying is that you wouldn’t mind if we were to vote you off as soon as that idiot is out?”

“I’d be more than grateful,” Valdemar said with a grin.

“Seems good enough!” Volta said as she nibbled on one of the cookies. “Wait,” she asked as she ate the whole cookie in one bite, “Why were you accepted in the Hell’s kitchen?”

“Same reason why ex-husband and wife were put in the same team,” they simply shrugged, “For the drama.”

“Oh, how much I wish they were to lose,” Valerius said in front of the camera, still thinking about his braid.

“We’re opening hell’s kitchen!” MC said as everybody got to their places in the kitchen, “Don’t disappoint me again! Also, we’re one waiter short and since you are the losing team,” MC took a glance at five of them, “Valerius, you’ll be a replacement.”

Valerius only nodded as he left the kitchen.

“Vlastomil, you’ll be at the meat section,” Valdemar simply stated as they sharpened some of the knives.

“But I-” he wanted to protest, but Vulgora interrupted them.

“Stop complaining and _go_!”

“Alright, let’s begin,” Asra said as they read the first order, “Let’s just put the same effort as yesterday.”

***

“This will be a breeze,” Asra grinned at the camera, “The opposite team is two cooks short! There is just no way we can lose,” as soon as Asra said that a smile disappeared on their face, “Unless…”

***

“OH FUCK!” Lucio shouted, not taking their eyes off the burning pan, “Um… I may have made an oopsie…”

“ _WHAT ARE YOU DOING_?!?!?” Nadia shouted, mortified, “Someone, stop the fire!” she demanded.

Everyone gasped in shock, with Asra walking as far away from the fire as they could while Portia pulled Julian towards her before his clothes could have caught on fire as well. Muriel irked his head, trembling at the sight of fire slowly spreading to the other cookware. The fear didn’t stop him though, as he quickly found the fire extinguisher, stopping the fire.

“Oh, thank you,” Nadia said, hugging Muriel tightly, “You’ve saved us!”

“Why do I smell fire?” MC asked as they walked over to the kitchen, “Nadia, explain!”

“Lucio started a fire.”

“Oh my _God_ ,” MC said as they buried their head in both of their hands, “Did anyone get hurt?” they asked calmly, not bothering to move.

Nadia quickly took a glance at Lucio and Muriel. She knew very well that Lucio would complain like a little child had he gotten a single bruise. Muriel didn’t seem hurt either, in fact, he turned away, going back to his station as if nothing happened.

“No, sir, everyone is fine,” Nadia stated.

“Nadia, go back to the station, as for you Lucio,” MC raised their head, staring at Lucio as if they were about to murder him on the spot, “I want the oven spotless and you _as far away from it **as POSSIBLE**_!!!”

“Yes, yes, sir,” Lucio visibly shook as he got to work.

“Come on, this is our chance!” Vulgora shouted as they cut some meat, handing it over to Vlastomil, “DON’T,” they said before Vlastomil could even start complaining.

“Is the shrimp pasta done?” Scout asked.

“We’re on it!” Volta said as Valdemar gave her a prepared sauce. She carefully poured it over the pasta, fighting the urge not to stuff her face with the food like yesterday. As soon as they were done, she carefully carried it over to Scout, who nodded in approval.

Soon enough Valerius walked over, picking up the plate, taking a glance at both kitchens. Sure, his team was _very_ slow, with only a couple of dishes out, but the other team was somehow _far_ worse. He smirked as he walked over to the table.

“Your order,” he said as he put the plate down, “I hope you enjoy it,” he said with a smile plastered on his face as he walked over to the other table.

“Good evening,” he said as he eyed the customers, “How can I help you?”

“Oh, hi there~” a woman greeted him happily as she played with the blue fabric of the dress, “So, I’d like…” she stared at the menu for a moment, then pointed out at one dish, “This. As for the drink…” she thought for a moment, “I’d like some champagne!”

“Champagne along with _that food_?” Valerius asked, disappointed, as well as one of the men sitting with the girl.

“Seriously Star,” an older man shrugged, “Everyone knows that red wine would go much better with it.”

“Oh, then I’ll take the red wine,” she said, a bit embarrassed that she had to be corrected by her colleague.

“Agreed,” Valerius said as he wrote down her order, “What would you like, sir?”

“I’d like some pasta, no meat,” he added, “I’m a vegetarian.”

Valerius wrote the order down and, just before he could hand the order over to the opposite team, one of the customers called for him. He turned around, hiding his annoyance, “Is something the matter, sir?” he asked.

“Look at this crap!” the woman gestured at her plate, “It looks disgusting!”

Although he’d gladly agree with the woman, just because that would put the opposite team in a terrible position, Valerius knew there was nothing wrong with the dish. “My apologies, but I don’t seem to understand. What are you complaining about?”

“It’s too hot for me to eat it! And look at the colours!”

Valerius took another glance at the plate and after a moment continued talking with less patience, “What do you want me to do? To blow your food? Just wait for it to cool down like all of the civilized people for God’s sake. Stop wasting my time,” he said as he went back into the kitchen, handing Scout all of the orders.

“Hey, I’m not done!” she shouted as she walked over to chef MC, “Sir, you need to put your waiters in their place!” she shouted at MC, “I have never been disrespected like this in my entire _life_!”

“What a coincidence, I can say the same,” Valerius commented, unbothered, as he took the plates, walking away from her, adding, “Apologies for not cooling your food down.”

“See?” she pointed at Valerius, “I demand-”

“Miss, I’m working here,” MC said with a deep frown on their face, “Nobody has the time to listen to your stupid complaints,” they added as they wrote something down on the paper, “Please return when you have a reasonable complaint, if not, go to the psychiatrist and solve your issues. Don’t lash out your anger on my staff.”

“How bold of _you_ to complain about my anger!” she wanted to continue, but as soon as she saw MC’s cold face, stopped, going back to her seat.

“Look at that idiot,” Vulgora laughed as they chopped some meat, taking a glance at Volta who was devouring the returned food, “Hey, what are you doing?!? Get back to your station!!!”

“Oh come _on_ ,” MC frowned as they watched Volta go back, “Speed it up, speed it _up_! Stop wasting time on the leftovers!”

Volta nodded, her mouth still full of food.

“My grandma would cook faster than all of you!” they shouted, taking a glance at how the other kitchen was doing, and oh boy, they had what to see.

The other kitchen was a mess. Portia accidentally spilt the boiling water on poor Lucio’s arm and it seemed that Asra and Muriel enjoyed the sight while Nadia and Julian pretended to not hear Lucio’s screams.

“Are you alright?” Portia asked, worried, “I’m so sorry!” she said as she grabbed his hand, only to find out that Lucio was pretending.

“Got ya!” he shouted like a little kid as he showed her his metal arm, “As for you,” he turned to the other three, but before he could make any remark, he noticed MC looking at them, their face turning redder and redder every moment.

“What in the world is **going on?!?** ” they shouted, losing all of their patience. Within a moment the restaurant was closed and all of the chefs shivered in front of MC.

“You were _terrible,_ **disgusting**!” they shouted and paused, trying to calm themselves down, “You,” they turned to Volta, “I believe we’ve talked about not eating food during the job.”

“Yes, but Volta couldn’t help herself,” she quickly explained, “Volta is sorry-” she would have continued, but MC raised their hand, signalling for her to stop.

“Your team was so terribly slow-”

“But we were two cooks short! Of course, we’d be slow!” Vulgora protested.

“I know that,” MC stated _calmly_ , “You were also most complimented, especially the meat dishes. Who was in the meat section anyway?” they asked as all of them pointed at Vlastomil. At the sight of him, MC couldn’t help but forget all of the rage they felt. After a good minute of laughter, they continued, “Seriously, _you_ made the dishes?” they wiped off the tears in their eyes, “Good job. Keep it up,” they said as they left Vlastomil to dwell in his existential crisis.

“I…” Vlastomil said, not bothering to stare at the camera, “I’ve been a vegetarian my whole _life_! I’ve never had any meat in my house…” he paused for a moment, still trying to process MC’s compliment, “So _why_ did people enjoy my food?”

“As for _you_ ,” they turned to the other team, “Yesterday you were, you were amazing, how did it all change in one night? I believe it’s obvious who is the losing team. Muriel, you were the best of the worst, choose two candidates for the elimination,” with that, MC left the two teams on their own.

“Bye bye Lucio!” Vulgora grinned.

“What do you mean?! I’m not getting eliminated.”

After that sentence, everyone stared at him, thinking the same thing – could Lucio really be _this_ dumb?

“What if, what if I get eliminated,” Portia started to get worried, “I mean, I could’ve seriously harmed someone,” she continued with her blabbering, “Oh, what will I do?” she started crying.

“Oh come on, don’t be like that,” Julian reassured her, “Everything will be fine.”

“No, it won’t!” Portia said, “I could have seriously hurt someone, do you think MC will let that slide?” she stared at Julian, her eyes becoming glossier.

“Look, you made no damage whatsoever,” Julian explained calmly as he tried to soothe his sister down, “That idiot could’ve burned the whole restaurant down.”

“Hey, don’t bring me into this!” Lucio shouted, “You did nothing the whole time! You were slow, unorganized and most of your dishes were returned!”

Julian ignored his comments, turning to Muriel, “Please don’t choose Portia,” he begged, “Choose me!”

Lucio turned to Muriel as well, “Don’t even think about choosing me!”

Muriel didn’t say a thing, instead, he just sighed, leaving the room.

“He… he won’t vote for me, right?” Lucio asked, feeling nervous.

~~~

“So, Muriel,” MC said as all of the chefs aligned, “Who do you choose and why?”

“I choose Lucio and Portia,” he felt shame as Portia’s name came out of his mouth, but there is no turning back now, “Lucio could’ve nearly burned the kitchen down had I not stepped in,” he simply explained, “As for Portia, she could’ve harmed someone with that boiling water,” he quickly added, trying to make Portia sound as good as possible, “Also, Lucio’s fake screams were completely immature. Such serious injuries shouldn’t be joked about.”

“Wait, please,” Julian walked out of the line, “I should be eliminated!” as soon as he said that, a smirk appeared on one certain doctor’s face, “I didn’t do anything when the fire started, I ignored Lucio’s cries and many people complained about my food! I, I’m not even a chef! I’m a doctor. There is no reason to keep me in the competition!”

MC stared at him, thinking about everything he said, “Very well then, if you’re so eager, join these two,” they gestured at Lucio and Portia.

“The person that will be eliminated from this competition is…” MC finally continued talking after a long pause, “Julian. Take your things and leave Hell’s kitchen.”

Despite the loss, Julian smiled brightly at MC. “Thank you for not choosing Pasha!”

“It, it’s happening!” Valdemar said happily as he stared at the camera, “Oh, what is this… _feeling_?” they stared at their hands, “Is it joy? Yes, it, it must be it, I have never felt so good. Oh, this is a dream come true, trust me, there is no better feeling than finally proving an idiot wrong. I just cannot wait to come back to my ordination, I should better start writing down the list of specimen I want!” they squealed like a high school girl, making the cameraman quite uncomfortable.

“Well, it sucks that I’ve lost the bet with Valdemar,” Julian admitted, “But at least my sister can keep going. I genuinely hope she can win and achieve her dream!” he said as he walked out of the Hell’s kitchen.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have some requests, feel free to write them in the comments :)


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